Confusing Experiences and Hidden Feelings
by Karisha
Summary: **CHAPTER 15**(R/H) The trio spends the last holiday week at Hermione's house; strange discoveries are made, and two stubborn heads don't want to admit their feelings for each other. Ron/Hermione!
1. The Trio Together

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter belongs to Joanne K. Rowling. We do this only for fun; so sue us, you will   
get some stinky ol'socks and maybe an old pullover...but only if you ask nice! 

**Notes:** First of all, _Karisha_ is not one person, but two. It's the combination of the two names **Kaeera** and **Latrisha**. We are both good friends and authors on ff.net, and some day we decided to write a Harry Potter fanfiction together. So here we are!  
Since we are both Germans, you might discover the one or other mistake in the story. We hope that it won't prevent you from continuing to read; after all, we have no beta and no proper spell-check, and sometimes we are just to lazy to look into the dictionary.   
This will be a Hermione/Ron story because we both love this couple. Maybe there will be a Harry/??? paring later in it, but we are not quite sure about it. Suggestions and ideas are always welcome, although we have many, many things planned for this baby....hehehe, you just have to wait.(Wood will appear! Yeah!) Don't expect this to be a fluffy piece; there will be some fights between Ron and Hermione, but without that, it would be boring, wouldn't it? Of course fluffy parts will have their appearance, too....somewhere. 

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**Confusing Experiences and Hidden Feelings**

_by Kaeera & Latrisha_

  
**Chapter 1: The Trio togethe**r

Summer...a word which lets you immediately think of a warm sun, holidays and ice-cream. It's a time nearly everybody enjoys;when the sun is shining, you see more laughing faces than ever. However, there was one boy who did, indeed, _not_ like this special time of   
the year, and his name was Harry Potter. Summer, that meant usually spending six horrible weeks with the Dursleys, something which could really not be considered as pleasant holidays.  
But this time he had managed to escape; his friend Hermione had invited him and Ron to stay the last week of holiday at her house. This shortened his time with the Dursleys to five weeks, still a long time, but he had survived it (although he had needed many letters and cakes from his friends).

And now he was here, sitting in the train with Ron on his way to Hermione. It would take him one wonderful year until he had to face his family again. Harry sincerely hoped that this time, he wouldn't have some dangerous adventures like usually, but he really doubted it. After all, living at Hogwarts was dangerous, especially when you are the Seeker in the Quidditch team. 

"I wonder how it will be at Hermoine's house.", Ron suddenly said. "Do the Grangers have gnomes, what do you think?"  
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno; they are muggle, they probably don't know what gnomes are."  
Ron wrinkled an eyebrow and snorted. "I hope it won't be too bad."  
Harry yawned. "Why bad? I'm sure that it will be great; Hermione can show you all the muggle things, for example a telephone, then you can call me.", he grinned, remembering the last and only time his red-haired friend had tried to call him. It had ended in a disaster, but when he now thought about it, he found it quiet amusing.  
"Bah", Ron snorted again, "Muggle things. They make life way too complicated."  
"Well...", Harry started, but he was interrupted by the loud-speaker. "Hey, the next station is ours!"  
"What?"  
"We have to get out, Ron."  
"Oh, okay, I'll grab my things."

  


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The boys left the train and stepped on the platform. Ron felt confused for the first moment; all the muggle looked so...different. Nobody did wear robes; indeed very uncommon for the young magician. Then he remembered that this wasn't his world anymore, it was the world of the muggle, of telephones, subways and not-moving photos. He hadn't told Harry about it, but he didn't like the thought of spending a whole week at a household without magic, even if it was Hermiones. There were so many things he didn't know, things which were normal for his friends; the telephone for example. It had been so embarrassing when Hermione had told him what he made wrong. In _his_ world Ron usually acted as guide for Harry (Hermione didn't need him; he doubted that there was one book in the library she hadn't read, how could a single person know that much??), he didn't want to change that.   
But then again, on the other side, he was quite curious. His father had told him so many things which sounded really odd...and, well, funny. He still hadn't decided which feeling was more intense; curiousity or fear?

Lost in thoughts he followed his friend along the platform. Next year they would be in 6th grade, all three together, Hermione, Harry and him. And soon was his 16th birthday, something to look forward to.

"HARRY! RON!", a loud scream interrupted his thoughts. There was Hermione, about 50m away, jumping up and down. Ron had to hide a smile when he saw her. It just reminded him of the day he had first met her - in the Hogwarts train, five years ago. She had been the typical best-pupil-of-the-year, fixed on the rules and unaware of the meaning of friendship. But that had changed. With the years she had experienced the fear, the touch of adventure - and she had been friends with Harry and Ron during all the time. The trio was famous in Hogwarts; everybody (without the Slytherins, of course) accepted them, or - sometimes - even admired them. One reason was, however, the fame of his friend; there was no one who _didn't_ know Harry Potter, the kid who survived Lord Voldemort.  
Sometimes it could be hard; he was often considered as nobody compared to Harry. And often he felt jealousy growing in his heart. But it had, fortunately, become better with the years.

  


~*~*~*~*~

**Change of POV!**  
_(A/N: There will be more such POV changes in the story. I know it comes a bit sudden, but I wanna that you have all insight into the 'person's heads. Hope you aren't angry!)_

**RON'S POV:**

It was nice to see Hermione again. I would have never admitted it, but I really missed her voice during the five long holidays week. Of course, I enjoyed holidays, and the idea of going back to school and...learn....didn't make me feel better, like it did to Harry. Well, that was understandable. Everybody would enjoy school more than the Dursleys, even I.

"Hey Ron!", Hermione shouted and hugged me and Harry. "It has been a long time, huh?", she smiled and her eyes were sparkling.  
"Don't tell me that you missed us.", I said, "You could have had the company of sooo many great books..."  


I could have slapped myself. Why was I always that....unpolite? Argh! But the words were said, and Hermione's smile disappeared. Harry glanced angrily towards me and I shrugged. My mouth was always faster then my brain.  
"Don't start like this, Ronald Weasley!", Hermione answered in a harsh tone, and I tried my best to look guilty. She shook her heard, the long brown hair flowing in the wind. Oh no. Now she was angry...  


"My father and my mother are waiting outside in the car. Let's go!"  
She turned around quickly and stormed ago. I felt helpless; wasn't she a little bit overreacting? After all, she knew me and my big mouth. Sighing I took my bags and followed her.  
Harry soon stepped beside me and hissed: "Don't be such a jerk, Ron!"  
"I know, I know!", I muttered, staring down on my feet. "But she's overreacting, isn't she? Okay, I admit, it wasn't one of the smartest comments...", I noticed Harry's expression and added hastily:  
"and no the nicest, too, but she doesn't have to be so angry."  
"Maybe she has her reasons...", Harry said slowly.  
I looked at him. "What reasons?", and he sighed. "Sometimes you just don't see the obvious, isn't it so?" 

The obvious? Well, it was obvious that Hermione was angry....Annoyed I decided to let it drop; it was not worth it, and certainly Hermione would cool off with the time, wouldn't she? She did always, after all we didn't normally survive one week _without_ fighting. 

On my way through the station I discovered some really weird muggle things. First of all there was a big clock on the wall, but there were only numbers on it! Hey, what was the use of such a clock? I mean...at home, the clock always tells me when I am late or so, but this one? It tells me that it is 'five'???  
I shook my head. The muggles were really strange. It was far more practical to have a clock which says where you are and if you are late than such a...thing!! Really!

Hermione, still a bit angered, lead us through a big hall on the parking place. I stepped out of the building and....gasped. Cars. CARS! So many of them! Of course, cars weren't unknown to me; after all my father _was _working in the ministerium, but so many of them...that really left me stunned.  
"Wow.", was the only word I could bring out, when I continued staring down on the vehicles.  
Then I heard someone giggling.  
"What's so funny?", I asked and turned around. It had been Hermione who had giggled. And Harry was smiling, too.   
"Just the way you looked when you saw the scene here!", she grinned, and waved towards the parking place, "Like a little kid who sees a big city for the first time!", and she continued to laugh.  
My first intention was to snap at her, but I remembered her previous outburst and pulled myself together. And then, it was nice to hear her laughing again.

"Come on, my parents are waiting.", she shouted and stormed down the stairs, to a big red car. We followed her a little bit more slowly. 

I had to admit that I was a little bit dumbfounded. I wasn't used to such an...enthusiastic Hermione. First happy, then angry, and then again happy - a 180° change in one minute??  
Had she always been like that? Or was today a special day?  
Then I remembered a talk of my mother with Ginny, which I had overheard(really! It was accidentally! Don't believe me??). There she had spoken of some days in the month, on which girls can be a little bit different...Maybe Hermione had one of her days? Although I didn't quite understand what my mother meant with that...

"Stop the thinking, Ron", Harry said friendly and slapped on my shoulder. "We should better get into the car."  
I nodded and greeted Mister and Misses Granger, who had left the car. Hermiones mother was a little bit taller than she, had the same brown hair and green eyes. She looked very nice, and I immediately liked her. Her father was a little bit taller and seemed to be friendly, too. He shook my hand and said: "Nice to meet you, Ron. After all this time you are friends with my daughter, it's really a pity that I learn to know you this late!"  
I had to laugh. "Well, you know me now, don't you?"  
"if Hermione told me the right things, you must be a very nice young man.", he grinned. I felt that my ears were going pink, and so did Hermiones face, but luckily her father decided to leave this topic alone and welcomed Harry instead.  
"Hello Harry!", he shouted, "I have heard many things about you! Let me tell you that you are very welcome at my house."  
And his wife added: "We hope you will both enjoy the time here, especially you, Ron, if it's the first time for you that you are in the muggle world."  
I just nodded and said my thanks for the kind invitation, remembering my mother, who had told me to be polite at the Grangers household, or else 'she would do something I would really, really hate'.   


Oh well. Mothers!

  


**To be continued....  
**

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**Kaeera**: "And, what do you think?"  
**Latrisha**: "Hope you liked it!! Now it's my task to write the next part."  
**Kaeera**: "Hehehe"  
**Latrisha**: "Hey, stop laughing!"  
**Kaeera**: *continues to laugh and falls off the chair*  
**Latrisha**: "You're mean! What will our readers think about us?!"  
**Kaeera**: "They will think that we are crazy - and that's true, isn't it?"  
**Latrisha**: "Ahhh! Maybe you, but I'm still normal!"  
**Kaeera**: "."  
**Latrisha**: "OK, OK, that was a lie *sighs*"  
**Kaeera**: "You should better write the next part! Maybe there are some people who wanna read it.*lost in thoughts*"  
**Latrisha**: *mutters something* "By the way, why did you start with the story? I wanted to!!!"  
**Kaeera**: "Because I am older!" *evil laughter*  
**Latrisha**: "That's not fair!!! They will think I'm as good as you, and what if I'm not"  
**Kaeera**: "Let them review, then we'll know it!" *nods*  
**Latrisha**: *points up in the air* Okay, please review! It's our first story together, and we want to know how we can improve!!! Please??? *falls down on her knees*  
**Kaeera**: *takes Latrisha and pulls her up* "You don't have to fall on your knees. If people are kind, they will review!"

Thanks for reading our story. The beginning is a bit slow, but we need our time to get 'into the story'. It will hopefully become better with the time! And if you want to know when the next chapter is uploaded, then give us your e-mail addy and we will notify you. Or write us a mail at **kaeera_latrisha@hotmail.com**

Byebye!  


  



	2. Discoveries

**Disclaimer**: We don't own anything but the plot. This is written just for fun, everybody who wants to sue us can get an old bubblegum, perhaps. 

**Notes**: For the ones who might already have forgotten, Karisha is not one person, but two, namely Latrisha and Kaeera. Kaeera already did her work with chapter 1, now it's on me to write chapter 2. *sighs*  
Already curious with whom Harry will fall in love?! (hehe, WE know) But, this will come later.   
Now, on with the story! Tell us howwe can improve !

  


**Confusing Experiences and Hidden Feelings**  


_by Kaeera & Latrisha_

**Chapter Two: Discoveries**  


HARRY'S POV  


"How long are we going to sit in this car?" Ron whispered bored. He sat next to me at the window of the Granger's red Mercedes. Ten minutes ago he had been stunned and flabbergasted about all the cars and the muggle things, but then he was already bored and wished that we would finally arrive.  
Typically Ron!   
I sighed quietly and told him that we had yet twenty minutes to drive. He rolled his eyes when he asked: "Aren't muggle cars able to fly?"  
Hermione, of course, heard what he said and smiled at him in a serious way. His ears took the colour of his hair and he rested the rest of the way in silence.   
I didn't know if he realized that Hermione liked him, or more than that, but the way he handled with this fact didn't make the situation easier. At that moment I already knew that this week would be one of the difficult ones with many fights and quarrels.   
Ron was afraid of the muggle world. Everything was new for him and he was the only one who didn't know all those things which were normal for Hermione and me. Mentually I made a little note that I had to talk to Hermione about that. Although I was pretty sure that she had looked through his facade.  
I remembered the first time when I was in Diagon Alley to buy my school things. Ron must have the same feelings than I had had five years ago. But I think it had been easier for me than it was for him. He wasn't the 'Boy who lived', what was really nothing to be proud on. I know that Ron had often been jealous. Sometimes I really wish I could change with him.

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Finally there, Hermione showed us their house. It was a white, modern house with many windows and with a small garden around it. It reminded me on the house which was next to the Dursley's neighbours. I threw a searching glance to Ron, who was staring at the garage. It opened by itself when Mr Granger pressed a little red button . 

"How how are muggles able to do magic?" he asked confused and watched Mr Granger driving the car into the garage.

"That's not magic, Ron!" Hermione replied and turned towards the door. "Ever heard something about electricity?"

No, no, no, shut up, Ron! Just don't say anythi - 

"Oh, electricy?! You should've borrowed me some books about that over holidays. I've been so bored, really!"

Aargh! He did it. I sighed. What the bloody hell was wrong with them?! Couldn't they ever stop with it? What was this façade good for? I wondered if this method really worked. In that case I should perhaps call Cho a slimy git or something. I decided not to give it a try.  
Meanwhile Hermione's face had turned purple and there were kind of little bolts coming out of her eyes. Ron raised an eyebrow. "WHAT?" 

"Electricity, Ron." I said when I passed him and went trough the door. Inside, Ron's eyes were fixed on the clock. Clocks must really fascinate him, I thought. No words were spoken when we sat down at the kitchen table. Hermione still sulked around and Ron continued watching the clock ticking.

"Folks," I began, "it's Saturday and we've still eight days together! Why don't you wait with your quarrels until school starts again?" I sighed annoyed and stared at the ceiling. "Then I have Seamus and Dean." I added, trying to show them how annoying it was to watch them fighting.

" 'kay!" Hermione said without looking at Ron or me. Ron just nodded slightly. As it was already the 'Day-of-Sighs', I sighed once more. Unbelievable, the two of them

After a short time fortunately Mrs Granger looked through the door. She smiled happily but interrupted her smile at once when she saw her daughters facial expression. "Uhm, it's nearly six now. Is anybody hungry?" she asked friendly after clearing her throat.   
Ron looked at me with an asking expression. "Six?!" He shook his head and let it drop. "Muggles"

As all of us, especially Ron, were hungry, we agreed unanimous. While we were eating, Ron and Hermione managed it to forget the first time that day that they normally had to pretend that they hated each other. People who don't understand that way of behaving, don't be encouraged: I'm trying it since my first year with them, but I've still not figured out this secret.  
The rest of the evening Hermione and I explained Ron what he simply had to see and where we had to go first. The next day was a Sunday and when Hermione suggested to visit the Museum of Occult and Witchcraft (she thought it might have been interesting for Ron to see how the muggles are thinking about magic), Ron asked: "What's with Quidditch? Aren't there Quidditch matches on Sundays?"   
"Ron, muggles don't play Quidditch. There are NO flying brooms in the muggle world. Perhaps soccer, but - "  
"Soccer? I've heard about that from Seamus already. Must be great!" On his face appeared a large smile. I could have thought about that earlier. Everything that was important for Ron were sports. So our first aim was the Londoner stadium, because there was the preferred team of Hermione's father playing the next day. He was really lucky to have a company as his best friend lost a bet against his wife and wasn't allowed to visit any matches for a whole year.   
At about eleven o'clock we went to bed, everybody with different opinions about the next day.

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RON'S POV

I woke up late the next morning. Curiously I thought about this sport called 'soccer'. It sounded boring, I couldn't help. When I decided to ask Harry to tell me some more things about it, I noticed that the bed next to me was empty. "Harry?" I looked through the guestroom, where Harry and I would sleep the whole week. Definitely no Harry to see.  
I stood up, stretched my bones with some loud cracks and walked down the stairs with drowsy eyes.  
"Mornin'!" I shouted and sat down at the table next to Hermione. I hoped instantly that she had forgiven me my last remark about her love to books. I really felt sorry about it. When I saw her face, she smiled. I took that as a positive sign and grabbed a toast. The Grangers were obviously amused about my manners. I saw it in their grins. Harry grinned, too. Later I would probably have to ask him, why.   
After a while I noticed that everybody had already finished with breakfast. Ashamed that they had just waited until I came I quickly ate the rest of my toast with this strange-tasting sugar-poor marmalade which only dentists would buy. 

The Grangers house was kinda fascinating. When I entered the living-room, I discovered the first real magic object. Hermione must have bought it in Hogsmeade or somewhere. It was a moving picture. Pretty big, but moving. It showed a man who was talking about an earthquake in Turkey. Mrs Granger sat in front the picture and listened while she dried a big plate.   
"Terrible." she said to herself, noticing that I had entered the room.  
"Oh, you shouldn't believe everything they say. When I just think about what the Fat Lady had told Neville about Trevor. He had cried the whole day." I said consoling. Hermione should have explained her parents that some pictures are the biggest liar.   
Mrs Granger just looked at me, confused. I decided to leave again.

After breakfast, the Granger's left to visit Hermione's Grandma in hospital. "And the milk is running out, so I'll have to fetch some from the supermarket." Mrs Granger had said short before leaving. It would take them a while, so we had to cook something ourselves. I knew already that this would turn out into a catastrophe.  
We played cards and Harry explained me the main rules of soccer. The ball must be shot into the goal by foot or by head. What an interesting game   
"So, what are we going to eat?" Hermione asked later. Harry pulled his shoulders up and down again. "What's with pizza?" he wondered, but Hermione disagreed.   
It was Harry's idea just to threw some eggs into the pan, and as Hermione wasn't good at cooking ,too (trying to learn how to cook out of books, that's not easy!) , we did exactly that. Or better, I did.   
"RON! Would you please turn it on six?" Hermione asked out of the bathroom. "I have to brush my hair." I soon realized that this would take a bit longer.  
She looked through the door once again. "And then just fry the eggs. I suppose you know how to do that."  
Harry put the plates onto the table and I stood in front of the oven and felt a little stupid.  
"Six?" I looked at the watch. No, it was in the middle of twelve and one. And the other was near the four. I wondered what to do, but I refused to ask one of the others. I would manage this alone.   
I saw the big, white button with the numbers next to it and I turned it until the little point was next to the six. Proud and pleased with myself I waited. I expected flames to shoot up on which I should place the pan. But nothing happened. Nervously I looked at Harry, who didn't seem to notice me at all. He had to deal with a rebellious drawer that didn't want to be opened by him.  
I took the eggs out of the icebox. When I opened the door, my mouth fell open.   
WOW! That was great! Ketchup, sausages, eggs, salads, juices, sweets (unfortunately sugar-free) "Boy!" I just said.   
"Huh?" Harry made, and it was to hear that he hadn't been very successful with his drawer yet.  
"Nothing." I said and put the eggs onto the kitchen table.  
There was still no fire burning or some kind of glow. What should I do? Perhaps it was damaged, or there was no electry, or whatever the word was.  
With my flat hand I slapped onto it.

  
HERMIONE'S POV

  
Finally ready with my hairs I looked up into the mirror. It looked terrible, if it was brushed or not. Why didn't Harry tell me that my hair was flying around in every directions? What must Ron have thought?   
I sighed and stepped out of the bathroom. It had no use thinking about what Ron must think about me. Whatever he was thinking of, it couldn't be that much.  
I was hungry and I hoped the two boys had been able to fry a few eggs in that time. I opened the kitchen door and -  
"RON! DON'T - "   
I entered a few seconds too late.  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaahhhh!" he cried in pain. Harry jumped up in horror and let a few knives drop onto the floor with a loud rattle .  
"Put it under the cold water!" I shouted. He had burned his hand seriously. "Oh my god, oh my god!"  
I whispered and tried to help him. I pulled up his sleeve and hold his hand tightly so that he wasn't able to pull it back. The poor! Why did I let him do the work with the oven? I should have done it myself. He is the guest, I should have cared more about him. It was his first time in the muggle world. Why - 

"Hermione!" Ron shouted. "For the third time, would you please let me in peace?" He pointed at the arm I hold.   
"But..-"  
"I'm feeling fine, there's no pain anymore." he said, but I could see that there was a lot of pain. He turned off the water and walked towards Harry who was phoning the ambulance.   
"Hey, there's no need to phone the ambuloooowaa" He stared at his hand. Just out of the water it had started to pain even more than before. Tears appeared in his eyes but he tried to hide them. He ran back and turned the water on again.   
"I'm not crying!" he screamed. "There just a little fly in my eye."   
His hand was shaking and it had taken the colour of a dark red.   
A few minutes later the ambulance arrived and Ron was taken to hospital. They examined his hand and bandaged it. We met my parents and they drove us home. Luckily it was nothing serious, but I felt guilty for the pain Ron had. 

**To be continued**

  


**Latrisha**: "Puuh, finally ready. About time, isn't it?"  
**Kaeera**: "If I hadn't told you to hurry up a little, you'd never have finished!" *reproachful glance*  
**Latrisha**: *sulk* "Of course we thank everybody who reviewed the first part. You're invited to review this one, too.   
**Kaeera**: "Aaah, and to the one who told us not to kill each other: we certainly won't.  
**Latrisha**: "Of course not. As long as she doesn't try to take away my Elijah Wood." *glances at Kaeera*  
**Kaeera**: "DID I HEAR RIGHT?!!! He's mine !!!" *picks up a stone and throws it after Latrisha*   
**Latrisha**: *runs away crying* "No-one will take away MY sweet Frodo!" *throws a hammer after Kaeera*  
**Kaeera**: So if you have Frodo, I will get Legolas *eyes change into little hearts* Mhm...*dreamy sigh*  
**Latrisha**: @-@

_Just ignore our little conversation...we have watched the movie together, and we are HUGE fans of it...ya know, we are crazy._

Thanks for reading our story. And if you want to know when the next chapter is  
uploaded, then give us your e-mail addy and we will notify you. Or write us a  
mail at **kaeera_latrisha@hotmail.com**


	3. and an old Friend

**Disclaimer**: Guess you know it now...we don't own them!

**Notes**:Short chapter this time...sorry...I was busy! And yes, I know that it's lame and that there's not much action...*sighs* I would have liked it to write more interesting scenes, but school stress was catching me. Yaaargh!~Kaeera

**Confusing Experiences and Hidden Feelings**

_by Kaeera & Latrisha_

**Chapter 3:...and an old Friend **

Ron felt miserably. His first time in the muggle world - and he had already managed it to anger Hermione and to hurt his hand. Things weren't going well.  
Luckily he had something to look forward to. The soccer game. After all, it was sport, and sport was always fascinating, never mind what Hermione might say. They couldn't fly, well, but maybe it was interesting.   


He stared at the book Hermione's father had given him - Soccer Rules. He hated books. Maybe that was only because Hermione loved them so deeply - he didn't know. It always frustrated him to read; there were so many things to do, and it made definitely more fun to fly on a broomstick than to read some stupid stories. He sighed and glanced quickly at his hand, which was bandaged. It had stopped hurting right now, but he wished that he could visit Madame Pomfrey or another magical doctor. She would mutter a spell, and his hand would have been perfect. This muggle medicin was not very helping.

When Harry entered the room, followed by Hermione, they both found their friend in a very gloomy state. He did definitely not look very happy. Harry sighed. Somehow his friend managed it always to have bad luck, whatever he did. It seemed to follow him. Along with his temper and stubbornness, it was an explosive mixture. He hoped that the soccer game would lighten the mood a bit. He himself was looking forward to it. Although he knew soccer, he had have never the chance to watch it - either on TV or in reality. The Dursleys had always closed him away when they started watching - his existence was not desired.  


Then he realised that it was actually the second time in his life that he watched a game, instead of playing. The first one had been the Quidditch World Cup - and now soccer. Compared to Quidditch, soccer was deadly boring, he had to admit, but maybe it was worth the visit. Hermione's father liked it. 

"Ron, are you ready? We have to leave now if we want to get our seats.", Hermione said, studying the face of her redhaired friend. She couldn't help but feeling guilty for his injury - they were her guests, she should have cared for them, especially for Ron.  
- _Why especially for Ron?_ - a nagging voice in her mind whispered, and she couldn't find an answer. Maybe because he was a stranger in her world, like a small kid. But he always made her feel stupid and...he always fought with her. She didn't want it, but somehow it started. _If he just wouldn't be so stubborn._

"Okay, okay.", Ron mumbled and stood up, leaving the book with soccer rules on the table. He had just read about red and yellow cards, but he didn't quite understand the sense of it. If the players couldn't defend themselves, they were not good enough - in his opinion. Relying on a referee was _weak_! 

They left the house and entered the car in which Mr. Granger was waiting already. He looked rather enthusiastically - not a big surprise, Hermione admitted silently, for her dad loved soccer, and had always been disappointed that his daughter preferred books instead.

HERMIONE'S POV

"Are you ready?", my dad asked and grinned wildly. The two boys grinned, too, and I sighed. Sometimes it was really annoying to have boys as best friends. I somehow could understand Ron's love for Quidditch - it was a very famous and interesting sport after all. But my father's soccer love? Nope!  
Somewhat happily I noticed that Ron didn't like it that much either. Harry, on the opposite side, seemed to enjoy the idea of visiting a game. He had never been able to go there, so it was understandable. Again I sighed, remembering all the things I had planned for them when they visited, A soccer game hadn't been on my list. I felt a little bit hurt - now I had made so much effort to show them(extremely to Ron, since he didn't know anything about muggles) anything interesting, like museums, things they could learn from, and they....honestly, I somehow can't understand them, and I often wonder why I, the bookworm, spends his time with people who _hate_ books. Fights were programmed then. So why?  


Because I liked them. Because it was funny to talk with them. 

Because they were both great friends...

It didn't take us long to reach the stadium. Although we were quite early, many people were running around, and the parking lot was full of cars. I noticed that Ron's jaw was hanging open again, and I chuckled. His surprise towards all the muggle inventions was just amazing, yeah, and cute. He appeared like a small kid.  


My earlier impression(that Ron didn't like the idea of visiting a game) was quickly proved wrong, when the two boys stumbled out of the car in a big hurry. Boys!! My father followed them immediately, with the same stupid grin on his face.

"Here, boys, I have something for you!", he waved with some packets and grinned. "You will need that!", with these words he put out some whistles and scarfs. 

"My friend has lend them to me; you can wave with them and cheer for your team.", he handed them to Harry and Ron, and I groaned. This would be bad.

"What's that for?", Ron asked curiously and looked at the whistle.  


"You blow into it.", Harry informed him kindly and admired his scarf. Ron just stared at him. Then he took the whistle and blew...

When the ringing in my eyes stopped, I glared at the two. Ron ignored it and smiled happily. "That's great!" Harry put the scarf around his neck. 

"HEY! HARRY!", a somehow famous voice shouted, and we all three turned around. A...grotesque figure was running towards us. It seemed to be a boy with a huge(and I MEAN huge) hat on his head, the face painted with the same colors as the hat. He had a scarf similar to Harry's, plus he wore a shirt with the name of the team on it.   
I just stared at him, my brain empty (for I didn't remember any walking hat I knew) when the realisation hit me.   


"O-Oliver Wood?", I stuttered, confused and relieved at the same time. What was he doing here? The ultimate Quidditch fan....  


"Oliver!", Harry greeted his former captain happily and asked: "What are you doing here?"

Ron just gaped. Wood laughed and pointed to his scarf: "Well, watching the game, of course!"  
A girl appeared behind him, dressed in a similar way. Her hair was short and curly, with huge brown eyes and a nice smile. She took Wood's arm and asked: "Who are these people, Oliver?"

"This is Harry Potter, the seeker in the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and his two friends. He played in my team and helped us to win a lot of games!", he grinned enthusiastically, "Harry, this is my girl-friend Kristen!"  


"Nice to meet you.", Harry answered politely, and I added: "But I have never seen her in Hogwarts. How did you meet?" Wood looked a bit embarrassed. "Ehm, well, Kristen is a muggle you know - and it was on this rainy summer day when I had this accident with my broom-stick...", he scratched his head, "She found me and well....you can imagine the rest!"  


"And because I love soccer", Kristen fell in, "I dragged him to the first game in the season, against all his complains. And he became a fan like me!"  


"What, you are a soccer fan?", Ron shouted bewildered, "But I always thought Quidditch was the one and only for you...", his voice trailed off.  


"It is!", the taller boy calmed him down, "But soccer is fascinating, too - alone the atmosphere, with these scarfs!", and he watched his one full of delight. I had to grin. Ron groaned. 

"Well", Wood stated matter-of-factly, after he had stopped admiring his scarf, "It's time to go in. We can sit together if you want!"  


"That would be great!", Harry thanked and we all walked towards the stadium, followed by my dad who had remained still through the whole conversation.

  
HARRY'S POV:

  
Of all the things this was the one I had expected the last. Oliver Wood, the boy who had led our team for four years, the ultimate Quidditch fan/player/addict, had discovered the pleasure of soccer! And he had gotten a muggle girl-friend; I was quite curious how exactly they had met, but Wood had been a little bit embarrassed when Hermione had asked, so I didn't want to question him further. I grinned. The perfect proof that muggle and magic teens could live together - maybe Hermione and Ron should take this as an example...

I sighed. No. The two were just too stubborn. Sometimes I just couldn't understand them. They had each other; not like me and Cho. It should be the easiest thing on earth for them to ask, since they knew each other so good, but no! They had to quarrel every second of their life. It was so obvious! Like when Hermione had taken care of Ron after he had burned his hand - she had been so worried, but this insensible prat hadn't noticed it! Sometimes I really felt the urge to hit him...And she had been so guilty. I had felt - and still did - guilty, too. After all, I had been in the kitchen with him and I knew how clumsy he was. But well, you couldn't change the past.

"You have to pay attention to the LAOLA-wave.", Wood informed Ron. _(A/N: I don't know the correct name. It's when all the people in the stadium get up and wave with their hands. Then they stand up and it looks like a wave going through the people...understanding what I mean?*scratches her head* I don't, either....hehe, just take it as a soccer cult/tradition.)  
_  
"LAOLA?", my red-haired friend repeated confused. 

"You stand up and...you will see it! I was surprised at first, too, but it's great!", Wood grinned broadly. "They should add that to Quidditch!"

"Better not!", Ron answered shocked. I could imagine what he was thinking.

"Why not? It would be fun!", Hermione pointed out.

Ron looked at her and snarled: "It's a muggle thing!"

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "And everything about muggles is bad, or what?"

"Ahm...", I could see him gulping, "Yes?"

Again I felt the urge to slap him and groaned. Why did he have to act like such a jerk today? It wasn't his usal manner...a voice deep inside me told me that he just did this because he was afraid of the strange world around him(although he would have never admitted that!). But another voice insisted on the fact, that Hermione certainly wouldn't listen to this voice.  
How right I was!

"Oh, how nice, Ronald Weasley!", Hermione fumed, and once again we had the pleasure to watch her in full temper.   
She just glared at Ron, and then stormed away, heading towards the entry of the stadium.   


"I didn't mean it like that.", Ron explained to no one particular, but his words came too late. Wood smiled. "My dear Ron, you certainly have to practise more!", he advised and followed Hermione, Kristen behind him.  


Ron looked confused, and I snickered. "What did he mean with 'practise more'?", he wanted to know.  


"I can't explain.", I grinned. "That's something you have to find out on your own!"

And I too followed my friends, leaving Ron with Hermione's dad behind, who seemed to be as confused as my friend.

I grinned again. Maybe this would be fun. And the game hadn't started yet...

**To be continued....**

  
Oh, and thanks to the reviewer who gave us the Legolas and Frodo clones*snickers* - we love them!*takes her Legolas clone and hugs him* This helps me writing *Legolas gasps for breath*  
**Latrisha**: "Hey, you started without me!*pulls her Frodo clone with her*  
**Kaeera**: *glares* If you are always too late...  
**Latrisha**:*frees wordlessly Legolas out of Kaeera's grip*  
**Kaeera**: "I didn't notice that he was getting blue!"   
**Latrisha**: "You needed long to write this...you have no right to complain about me!"  
**Kaeera**: "Oh really? And what's with the mangas I lend you a month ago - you didn't give them back yet! Or the Terry Pratchett book, you kept it for half a year!!!!"*stomps on the ground*  
**Latrisha**: "Oups..."  
**Kaeera**: "Hrmpfh!" *notices what she has written* Hmmm....*shrugs* We already told you that we are crazy - but then again, who is not on ff.net??

_  
Don't mind our ramblings. Just review^.^ (Longer reviews are greatly appreciated!)_  



	4. The Game

**Disclaimer**: The same as always, we don't own anything than the plot.   
Harry and his friends are invented by great and glory J.K. Rowling. 

**A/N**: Wheew, well, what shall we say? First thanks to all our nice reviewer!   
Guys, you're great! And an extra fat THANX to zombie-miho, who gave us   
our Frodo and Legolas clones. This time she handed out waffles ;-) Hmmm, we   
LOVED them!!!

**Kaeera**: WE??? What do you mean with that?! I didn't get one of   
them! Where are they?  
**Latrisha**: Did I say waffles?! You must be mistaken, there   
are no waff-  
**Kaeera**: I can smell them! You've eaten them all alone!   
I'm gonna kill you!!! *runs after Latrisha crying*  
**Latrisha**: You can't! Think of our readers!!! *breathes   
hardly*  
**Kaeera**: Oh dammit, you foolish girl! Just wait until the story is   
finished *evil grin*  
**Latrisha**: This is gonna be a long one, I suppose *sighs*

**Confusing Experiences and Hidden Feelings**  


_by Kaeera & Latrisha_

**Chapter Four: The Game**

RON'S POV  


Breathlessly I finally arrived at our seats. It had been hard to find them   
without hitting every single person twice or more, and of course, being hit   
by these a number of times. My hand did its part in hurting like mad and I   
hoped that this damned ointment the doctor gave me would soon show its   
effect. I sat down next to Oliver, and Harry sat down to my left. Hermione   
somehow didn't want to sit next to me. I wondered why.  
I hadn't done anything, not to my knowledge. It was just this little   
remark, nothing really bad, just this tiny comment... - Okay, I had to   
confess that it had been stupid of me. Perhaps I should have been more   
polite. But honestly, this is not what you can call my strength (even Mom   
had to accept that).

The Mexican wave (_A/N: hope it's right now. Thanx for the hint :)_)   
passed by once more, making the people around me stand up screaming and   
shouting. I didn't.  
Harry behaved normal in contrast to Oliver, who was jumping on his seat,   
shouting as loud as a baby elephant every time the wave passed by. When the   
first people began to stare at him curiously, I slightly looked aside and cleared my throat. After a few minutes Kristen   
showed pity and asked him to stay on his back.  
But it became worse when the man who was sitting behind him asked him to put   
down his hat.  
I don't see anything, sir. he had said politely.  


Oliver's eyes became watery when he put the hat down. One last time he   
stroke it tenderly and gave it a little kiss, then he opened his rucksack   
and put it in. I tried to ignore the soft sniffling which followed and   
concentrated on the field. Muggle men were warming up with their balls.   
This does makes sense', I thought, Everybody has a   
ball.' I couldn't help wondering why they had just one ball   
during the game itself. How stupid muggles could be  
When are they going to start? I asked Mr Granger, who was   
sitting next to Harry.  
At three, he said, five minutes yet.  
  


A short time later the referees walked to the middle of the field and with   
them one player of every team. They shook their hands and one referee threw   
something into the air.  
Then the ball was given free. I found that kind of unspectacular, thinking   
of the balls you have when you play quidditch.  
Because I was concentrating on the match, I didn't notice that Wood had   
put two other shabby old scarves out of his rucksack. He wrapped them around   
his arms and every time the wave passed by he waved with them like crazy. I   
tried to pretend that he didn't belong to us. A sixth sense told me   
that Kristen was trying to do the same.

Suddenly loud screaming and shouting caught my attention.  
, the man behind us cried. You damned referee, did   
you leave your glasses at home?!  
I grinned. This somehow reminded me of Lee Jordan.  
For a few seconds I heard nothing else than or   
GO HOME!. Oliver was nearly intears and Hermione's   
father blew into the whistle like mad. That was a penalty kick! Where   
did the referee get his licence?!  
Harry got up, too, even Kristen threw some words at the head of the referee   
which weren't that nice.  


Both the player who was being fouled and his team were standing around the   
referee, trying to make him think about his decision. It looked funny, all the people standing there,  
shouting and waving with their hands.  


Where's the problem? I asked matter-of-factly.   


They don't have the snitch already, so yet they can win.  


Ron. No. Snitch. At. Soccer. Hermione sighed impatiently.  


With the time I got used to the rules. Every time the ball   
was in the goal, the whole stadium started shouting. Not wanting to be a   
spoil-sport, I decided to do the same.  
As it did not happen very often that they shot a goal (in fact it happened   
only once yet and then the referee decided that it would not count), I   
prepared myself on a quite second half-time.  
When the first one was over, many people got up to buy some hot dogs or   
something. Wood and Kristen also left for a short time. Hermione left for   
the toilet (girls!), Harry and Mr Granger bought something to drink, and   
suddenly poor old Ronnie found himself all alone between some soccer-crazy   
muggles.  


This fact didn't make me very happy at all. The stadium speaker   
promised a exciting next half-time as it was important for both of the teams   
to win. Then another voice said something about a new sort of beer.  
One after another they all returned, Harry and Mr Granger both with big   
bottles of cola under their arms.  
The game started again. I watched the ball wherever it went, just in case I   
was looking away right when they shot a goal.  
If they don't do anything, they will lose in the end. a   
voice behind us said.  
You're right. another one agreed. Mr Granger nodded,   
too. Seemed as if the chances weren't that high to win the match. The   
atmosphere was strained and the Mexican wave slowly died down.  
But then one of the men got the ball and was alone on his way straight to   
the keeper. I knew that this would be the chance to shoot a goal. He shot   
– and

GOOOAAAAL!!!! YEEAAAH! Oliver and I screamed loudly. I stood   
up and clapped (but stopped at the moment, realizing that my hand was still   
hurting very, very much) while Oliver was already standing on his seat   
dancing and singing.  
There was just a tiny problem. Neither Kristen nor Mr Granger nor the whole   
rest of the block cheered with us. A dark suspicion knocked at the door to   
my mind.  


Carefully I turned my head around and  


About five hundred pairs of eyes were turned into our direction. Hermione   
buried her face into her hands. Even Wood noticed after some time that we had cheered   
for the wrong team.  
He stood there, like me, arms and hands up in the air, between some angry,   
really angry fans.  


Uhm..., there was...-   


Yes, er, there was- I tried to help him.  


A FLY! he shouted.  


Ah, er, I mean yes, A FLY! I added hastily.  


Annoying, these flees, really. Oliver hit my back head.   


Ah, there it is, the little beast.  


Exactly, a fly. How I hate flees. I added nodding while   
catching Hermione's glance. Her head was turning purple.  


Only an annyoing old fly Wood told the few girls in front   
of him and started chuckling. Tss, a fly .  
Slowly he let his arms sink again.  


I've already caught a fly yesterday, you won't believe   
it, and now I caught one again. he said and paused, as if he expected   
an applause or something.  


Oliver, would you please sit down now! Kristen whispered and   
her voice sounded like ice.  


Oh, yes of course. It's just that there was a-  


Shut up now. I whispered, cleared my throat and decided to sit   
down, too.

Since then Wood and I stayed rather quiet. I could imagine Hermione when we   
were at home again, shouting furiously at me and Harry laughing with tears.  
This would definitely be the first and last soccer game I ever watched.

HARRY'S POV

Our team was about to lose. I wondered whether Ron would care about this or   
not. In my opinion he would have loved to go home right then  
Oliver only hummed quietly instead of crying and cheering like a baby when   
the wretched rest of the Mexican wave passed by. After this game he would   
certainly change back to quidditch. In quidditch he was the best, no doubt.  


What's wrong with'em?!, Mr. Granger groaned   
furiously, They're playing miserably!  
Behind us someone grunted agreeing.  
Suddenly the stadium gasped for breath.  


, the whole block made, without Ron and Oliver.   


FREE KICK!  


Ron asked irritated.  


Our best striker is being fouled! Mr. Granger muttered and   
shook his head. If this wasn't a free kick,   
I'll He let the end of his sentence open.  
But there was no use asking what he would do then, because the referee gave   
the free kick. The striker who had been lying on the field, half-dead,   
suddenly was fit again and transformed it. (_A/N: Hope you can say it like   
this in English, in German we say it so. If not: He simply shot a goal!)_

The stadium cheered. Now everything was open again. ,   
even Ron whispered.  
I leaned back and also Mr. Granger who had been grumbling all the time   
calmed down a little.  
Hermione didn't show much interest at all. I thought about going into   
the theatre or somewhere else with her and Ron, perhaps she would be happy.   
And the theatre would give Ron and me the chance to fall asleep without her   
noticing it. Sometimes, not very often, some really good ideas sneaked into   
my mind.  


Then my thoughts drifted away to Cho. That she went to the school ball with   
Cedric, God bless him, really hurt me. How lucky Hermione and Ron were,   
having each other and being close to each other that often. Why did they   
behave so strange? Didn't they realize the luck they had? I had to   
confess that I was jealous, even to Cedric, who was dead. Cho loved him, not   
me. And she might still love him, I thought. Then I remembered Ginny, who   
seemed to love me truly. How she must feel all the time  


Life was not easy. People might think I was carefree Harry Potter, the boy   
who had had such a luck to survive Lord Voldemort, the boy who had found   
such good friends at Hogwarts and had every year a new adventure to go   
through. OK, they know I have lost my parents and they of course all felt   
pity for me, but no-one of them knew my true, despairing feelings. If you   
think, teenagers were not able to feel true love for someone, then you are   
wrong.  
I never told Ron, and I never told Hermione. This would be my own secret and   
I would never tell anyone. People shouldn't think I was oversensitive   
or something.

The game went on and there was not much time left to shoot the one and   
important goal.  
The players were obviously nervous. Thousand times a minute the referee had   
to whistle off-side.  
It was the ninetieth minute. Hemione asked what time it was, and before I   
was able to say anything, Ron shouted   
I looked at him confused. It was already about six o'clock.  
Why do you think it's four, Ron? Its already six.  
Ron sighed. Harry, look over there! Do you see this man? Yes? And the   
board he is holding? Good. And what do you see on the board? A big, red   
four. I think that will explain.  
Proudly he leaned back and glanced at Hermione.  


, I began carefully, that's the number of   
minutes the players have left. I replied. In four minutes the   
game's over.  
Ron gulped softly, grinned foolish and said: I knew. Just wanted to   
see if you knew too.  


Oh. I understand. I said nodding and watched the game again.   
Hermione had started to giggle, but Ron didn't notice. What a luck, I   
didn't dare think about what he might have said.  
The minutes passed much too fast. One last corner kick and the game would be   
over.  


The last chance. Mr. Granger pointed out.  
The man shot the ball into the middle of the penalty area, another jumped   
up, touched the ball with his head and aimed it exactly into the  


I cried and stood up, even Oliver stood up after   
making clear the all the others did, too.  


, he said and chuckled. I knew it!  
Hermione stood up, waited until most of the people had calmed down and then   
she said:  


As it is over now, this more than exciting soccer match, would   
someone mind going home now?!  
The tone of her voice didn't tolerate any contradictions so we left   
the stadium.  
In the pushing and shoving we almost lost each other.  
At the entry Oliver and Kristen had to take another direction. Bye,   
then., Oliver said and shook everybody's hand.  


, Kristen said and waved shortly while turning around,   
hope we'll meet once again sometime.  
I grinned. They really fit together, the two of them. Before they   
disappeared into the crowd, Oliver shouted: And Harry, I want you to   
be fit for the next quidditch season! Griffindor rocks!

**To be continued**

Wheeew, what a relief, finally ready We hope you liked it. Fifth   
chapter will be up as soon as possible! It's Kaeera's turn again!  


**Kaeera**: Hey folks, don't forget to review!  
**Latrisha**: Yeah, I still hope that Cathy Doll will review some day.   
Hello?! Do you hear me? *shouts out loudly*  
**Kaeera**: She won't hear you. Give it up. *pats   
Latrisha's shoulder*  
**Latrisha**: *sniffles* But then, what do you think zombie-miho will   
give us this time *thirsts for it*  
**Kaeera**: You're just too curious. Continue behaving like this   
and Santa Claus won't bring you anything this year.  
**Latrisha**: *eyes opened with horror* I'm sorry! Please forgive   
me, dear zombie-miho, I will wait patiently, OK? *twinkles at her   
Frodo clone* I know how to spend my time *hugs him   
tenderly*  
**Kaeera**: we don' wanna deepen this topic- just   
review ^__^ *pulls Legolas away from Latrisha


	5. Fast Food

**Disclaimer**: Nope, we still don't own them. We just have our Legolas and Frodo clones^^   
**Notes**: Nothing this time...actually, we have written some answers to your reviews! You can see them at the bottom!! If we have forgotten to mention you....then we are sorry! Tell us in your review and we will do it next time! Ah yes, and if you have questions, you can always ask them. We will answer them in the next chapter then!!!!*sweet smile* - This chapter was fun to write! I enjoyed it - and I hope you like it, too. ~Kaeera 

* * *

**Confusing Experiences and Hidden Feelings**

_by Kaeera & Latrisha_

**Chapter 5: Fast Food **

Hermione sighed relieved. It was over, finally! She hadn't expected it to be that bad...Ron who had been so embarrassing! And all the people who cheered loudly about a stupid goal - honestly! She could have spent these 90 minutes with something far more interesting. Boys! You can never understand them.  
The three Hogwarts students left the stadium and the ride home was uneventful. They sat in the car in a satisfied, relieved and - in Ron's case - embarrassed silence. Just her father was bubbling about the game, and Hermione just rolled her eyes.  


"What shall we do now?", she asked, finally breaking the awkward silence.  


Harry and Ron glanced at each other, then Harry suggested: "Maybe we could eat something?"  
Hermione leaned back in her seat. "That'll be good. I am a little bit hungry. Do you have something in your mind?"  


Harry shifted uncomfortably. "Ehm, actually I was thinking of this certain...restaurant..ehm...McDonalds'?", he said very fast and smiled a bit.   


"Why McDonald's?", the girl asked curiously.  


"What is McDonald's?", Ron wanted to know.  


"Because I have never been there - the Dursley's didn't take me. And I always wanted to try the food there..."  


"Hey, what is McDonald's?", Ron asked again.  


"I don't like the food there, but if you want, we can go.", Hermione told Harry and announced to her father that he should drive them to a place in the city centre where they could easily walk to the next fast-food restaurant.  


"I was ASKING something!!", Ron repeated annoyed. "You like it to ignore me?"  


"I will drop you there on the corner, is that okay?", Mr Granger spoke, and Hermione answered: "Yes, it's okay. When I remember it right, there's a McDonald's only five hundred meters away - we can walk that."  


"HEY!!", Ron shouted.  


"That's cool!", Harry pointed out happily.  


"WHAT IS THIS MC DONALD'S THINGENS NOW??? CAN YOU TELL ME??? AM I INVISIBLE OR WHAT????", Ron screamed finally with all the power he had. He was fuming.  


"Calm down, Ronald Weasley.", Hermione ordered firmly. "McDonald's is a fast food restaurant. Ron glared at her. "And what exactly is a fast food restaurant???"  


"A place where you get your food very quickly." Harry explained and looked out of the window when the car stopped. "Guess we are there. Let's get out!"  
They opened the door and scrambled out of the car. "Thanks for driving, dad.", Hermione shouted back and closed the door. Her father winked and left.

"Is the food there good?", Ron questioned when they were heading into the direction Hermione had showed them.  


Harry smiled and answered: "I've never tried it. It's just that every typical muggle teenagers goes to the McDonald's, so I wanted to try it, too.", he felt very excited. Before his time at Hogwarts, he had heard kids talking about McDonald's, and often his classmates would meet there after school. As the outsider he had been, Harry was never invited to such events, but the Dursleys wouldn't have let him go anyway, so it hadn't been that bad. He had just been curious how the food there was...  


"The food in Hogwarts is much better!", Hermione insisted. "Hamburger and Cheeseburger...they taste all the same, are expensive, and you become fat after eating them!"  


The two boys sighed in unison. "Do all girls think the same?", Ron threw his hands in the air, "You become fat...", he imitated Hermione. "Honestly, if something tastes good, I eat it, never mind if it makes me fat or whatever! Why do girls always think of their figure??"  


"Maybe that's the fault of boys like you!", Hermione said coldly, "After all, I remember a certain Ronald Weasley who said that didn't want to go to the Yule Ball with a girl because she was ugly in his eyes. And he would have preferred it to go with a girl who looks beautiful but has nothing in her brain!!!", she had shouted the last few words, and Ron backed away. "That has nothing to do with that!", he tried to defend himself, but he didn't have much success. Hermione just snorted. "Oh yes, really!" She glared at him and Ron gulped.  


"Hey hey!", Harry interfered, "Why do you always have to fight?"  


"She/He started it!", they both shouted and pointed at each other. Then they continued to glare.  


"Ooookay...", Harry sighed, "You can continue your personal war - but I will eat something now. Stay here forever if you want!", he left them and entered the fast food restaurant.  
It took them some minutes after they had cooled off enough to follow him.

* * *

HERMIONE'S POV

I snorted one last time and then I entered the restaurant. It was full of young people at my age, all who were eating junk-food, talking and shouting (pervert) things. I really didn't like the food here that much. It was fat, it was expensive, and you could eat masses of it without being satiated. But when I had seen the look in Harry's eyes, when he had suggested this, I couldn't say no. As much as I hated this, I could understand why he wanted to do this. It was normal. Every teenager did it.   


The boy-who-lived had always wanted to be normal. Being normal, that meant having both parents, and not a crazy muggle family and a godfather who had been prisoner in Azkaban. It would have been cruel to say no.  


And then there was another reason: I wanted to see Ron's reaction. Of course I would never tell him, but it was just incredible cute when he got these big eyes every time he saw something new (like, oh, let me say, every two minutes^__^). And how he tried not to show his obvious curiosity and...fear. He looked like a little child. Frustrated I noticed that my anger had already vanished. I just couldn't stay mad at him...I could prevent that I did, but actually I was hurting me more with this than him (numerous fights had taught me this).   


Really, having a crush on somebody wasn't that easy....what! Hermione! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING??? I don't have a crush...on NOBODY! Honestly, nobody would fall in love with Ronald Weasley, this clumsy, annoying, thick-headed, hot-tempered, sweet redhead!!!  
NONONONO!! I wasn't...never! I have heard things which happen to people who are in love...they just the one person and forget everything! I can't afford it to forget everything! I have to study....I have to concentrate on my books.  
Hermione, girl, you are stupid! You would never fall in love with Weasley, would you? He's always fighting with you! He probably hates you....and how often did he hurt you?

No. I didn't have a crush. Never. Forget about it. 

I shook my head and followed Harry to a table in the near of the window. Ron sat down and stared at his surroundings.  


"So, what do you want?", I asked, taking out my purse.  
Both boys made faces. "Ehm...we can choose?", Harry asked perplex, and I sighed. "Of course you can choose, silly. This is a fast-food restaurant, after all! You can get hamburger and cheeseburger and all the unhealthy stuff..."  


Ron gaped. "What is a hamburger?", he wanted to know.   


"Something to eat?", Harry offered helpfully.  


"Yeah, but what?"  


"Ehm...Dudley always liked that, but I never got one...Isn't it with bread and...ketchup???"  
I felt the sudden urge to hammer my head against the next wall.   


Soccer Match was okay.   


Visiting McDonald's was okay, too.   


But one followed by the other? NO! Definitive NO!  


"Okay, guys.", I ordered finally. "You two stay here and I will look for something. Just don't complain, is that clear?", they both nodded, and I left the table. A last glance back over my shoulder told me that they were allright, and then I was there. McDonald's. I could see the hamburgers packed in the papers and I once again remembered what a waste it was and how bad for the environment. Carefully I scanned the list, but all the names were confusing the heck outta me...this was food? It sounded like some invented words...I decided that taking three menus would probably be the best, so I ordered them. Three different ones, of course, so that we could exchange if we didn't like them. The young girl behind the desk had some difficulties to understand me, and I had to repeat my orders. Impatiently I waited for the food and looked around. The place was crowded, but not as crowded as usual....probably because of the football match.  


I had always wondered why all the teenagers loved it to come here. I mean, it's really nothing special, is it? You just sit there and talk with your friends while you are eating....exactly the same thing I was doing right now, I mentally sighed. Well....little Hermione had never been the usual girl. Always an outsider, huh? Have always been, until I came to Hogwarts. Strange things happened to me, especially with books involved. And the girls in my class never wanted to be friends with me because I was uncool. And the boys ignored me - out of the same reason. You can't imagine how happy I had been when I got this letter from Hogwarts. But then people there tended to ignore me, too....or even worse, making fun of me. It was terrible...I felt so lonely...

But one day...one day everything changed. And I got some wonderful friends. I started to realise that there are more things in life than books...  
And then I stopped the musing, because the meals came. I looked down on the three big burgers or whatever...the coke and the chips (_A/N: pommes frites? Frites? How do you call them? In British English, it's usually 'chips', isn't it? But I don't know the American word for it_). I could smell the fat and frowned. Oh well. Better get over with it soon, so I walked back to the table.

They waited impatiently when I slowly made my way back. "FOOD!", Ron shouted loudly and took the tray out of my hands. "What took you so long?"  
I glared at him. "The fact that there are many people here who wanna have food, too, and the fact that we are in the muggle world, meaning that the people CAN'T witch the meals!"  


Ron frowned. "Actually, a simple 'Because' would have been enough."  


"What?", he continued, when he noticed the piercing stare of Harry. "I didn't do anything!!"  


"Oh, yeah, whatever.", Harry muttered and looked down on the food. "So, what did you bring us, Hermione?", he wanted to know and examined one of the burgers.  


"I forgot the names.", I told them, "But this one is with chicken, this with beef and this one...ehm", I scanned it, trying to find out what it was, "Can't tell you. Have never seen something like that." I shrugged. Ron's eyes became big. "WHAT!", he nearly screamed. "Hermione doesn't know anything?" he started grinning. "That's a feast today, people....the first day Hermione doesn't know an answer...I'm flabbergasted...I am stunned...", he started to pretend sobbing, "I waited so long for this...so long...I never thought it would come*sniff*!", and he took out a tissue and blew his nose.

I felt that my head became red and hissed: "Stop it, you idiot! It's not that I know everything, okay?"  


"Maybe not everything, but everything WE don't know.", he smiled mischievously.   


"That's not much to know.", I retorted, trying to ignore Harry who had started laughing and was pounding his head on the table.  


"Oh, ye...what?", Ron suddenly realised that it hadn't been a compliment what I said and looked insulted.  


"May I remind you that it was you who started this?", I said, "And Harry, could you please stop laughing? I don't see anything funny in this!"  
He wiped the tears of laughter away and took a deep breathe. "Of course it is funny!" He recieved two threatening glares and gulped. "Or maybe it's not...ehm...that funny at all...hehe...", he put one hand behind his head: "Let's better start eating, okay?"  


We agreed.

  


RON'S POV

Eating. Yeah okay.   


I stared down on the tray and compared it with the food I knew yet. Mum's food was always great - and always served on a plate. Where was the plate, anyway? Maybe Hermione had forgotten it? I searched, but when I watched the other tables, I realised that the others hadn't plates, either. 

Okay.  


Slowly I took one of the so-called Burgers and packed it out of the paper. I guessed it was chicken, it certainly looked like that, but I wasn't entirely sure. Glancing over at Harry told me that he had the same thoughts in his mind.  


I opened the burger and examined the wobbling bread. At least I assumed that it was bread - it didn't seem to have the consistence of it, and I briefly wondered if it had been Hagrid who had cooked. I immediately neglected this trail of thought - would it have been Hagrid, the bread would have been too hard to bite.  
There was something thing under the bread . Obviously the meat, but what was that? With my fingers I grabbed for the little thing and lifted it up in the air. It was small, round and had a strange sickly green color.  


"What is that?", I asked and moved the thing. It wobbled, and I had the sudden urge to throw it away. Hermione looked up from her own burger and said: "It's a gherkin."  


"A gherkin??", I repeated shocked. "But gherkins are supposed to be...well, you know...not so soft...and wobbling!"  
Harry opened his burger as well and sniffed at his gherkin. "I don't smell anything.", he admitted and compared his gherkin to mine. "Maybe it's made of rubber!", he suggested.  


"Maybe it's a poisoned mush-room!", I continued smiling. "Ya know, I bet there's Snape standing in the kitchen and rubbing his hand because his greatest enemy will die of this..." We both imagined the picture of Snape standing in a kitchen, clothed like a chief and started laughing.  


"Honestly, you two behave like kids!", Hermione groaned, but didn't manage to hide her smile.  


"Yep!", we both answered unison and continued laughing. My gherkin splashed back on the burger, making a strange noise. I stuffed the bread on it and lifted the burger. "Okay...I will do it now...I will eat it!" and I opened my mouth, taking a huge bite of the strange food. Fast food...

I had to admit...it didn't taste that bad...When I forgot how disgusting the gherkin-thing had appeared, I could even enjoy it. "Mhm's Mnot Mfo Mbwad!", I mumbled.  


"What?", Hermione snorted. She did never like my manners. I swallowed what I had in my mouth and repeated: "It's not so bad." I took a second bite. 

"Actually, it tastes really good! What do you think, Harry?"  


He didn't respond, because his mouth was full, but his nod told me all I needed to know. Ccome on, Hermione, you have to admit, it really doesn't taste that bad!"  


She shrugged. "But it's still fat!"  


I grinned. "Why do you fuss about such things? I don't think that you need a diet....looks perfect like that!" She stared at me, forgetting about her burger, and her cheeks became pink. I realised what I had said and could have slapped me! Now she surely thought of me as an idiot...I blushed and started eating again, hoping Harry didn't make a comment about this whole situation.  


There was an akward silence, until Harry decided to break it. "So, what are your plans for the rest of the week, Hermione?"  
She sighed relieved and answered: "There's this interesting museum with an exhibition about dinosaur...I thought it might interest you, you don't hear much of this creatures in the magical world.  


"What are dinosaurs?", I wanted to know.  


"Huge animals which have lived millions of years ago."  


"Why shall I be interested in animals who are dead? We have enough gnomes and dragons in our world..."  


"You haven't even looked at it, Ronald Weasley!"  


"And I don't want to."  


"I accompanied you to this football game, now you can go with me to the museum...that's what we call a deal!"  


"This week was supposed to be fun..."  


"It would be fun if you wouldn't wail all the time!!"  


"I don't wail!!!"   


"Oh, sure!"  


"Guys!", Harry interrupted with a warning tone in his voice. "Stop it. It gets annoying with the time, believe me! We'll go to this museum - I must admit that dinosaurs interest me, too. I have never been in a museum!"  
Hermione glanced at me triumphantly and I avoided her gaze. Bah, museums....muggle museums were certainly boring!!!  


"Ooooookay...", I agreed gloomily. "But first let's finish this, okay?  


"Don't worry.", she reassured me, "We will go tomorrow, that means today we have much time for relaxing and eating. Maybe we can go for an ice-cream somewhere in the city later."  


"Ice-cream?" I started grinning. I loved ice-cream! At least **this** day was a success!!!!

But museums...old stinky places filled with old memories nobody wanted to see. It was enough to have History Class in schoo, but doing something like that in your free-time? Nope...I never could understand Hermione. She should makem ore sports, be more relaxed...And maybe she should just try to understand that I didn't like books, had never did and would never will. Wasn't this tolerance? honestly, it was my own fault when I failed the exams...so why did she always worry about it? I sighed one last time and stared on my burger. Strange, wobbling, fat muggle food, somewhat good tasting. Definitely one of their better inventions...although I didn't want to know what this gherkin REALLY was....

Taking another bite, I realised that I didn't want to know either what for a meat it was...but since I had never cared about banal things like that, I forgot about this immediately. Images of the museum wandered around in my mind and I shuddered.

I would definitely need this ice-cream!

**  
To be continued...**

  


  


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Hey folks, thanks for all the reviews, you're really great! We were so happy about them that we just HAD to write some answers! Uhm...here they are! 

**- Delekhan Silversword:** uhm, why are we calling it soccer? You're right, normally it is football, like in German, but we thought you might change that with the other football (you know, the game with that odd egg-ball). Soccer is too much American, isn't it? And in English class, we have to use the word soccer...so it really isn't our fault*snicker*. But besides, the chapter is over now, and if there's anything else to come which has to do with football, we'll certainly use the right word now *lol*  
Thanx for reviewing^.^

** - Allison M Potter**: Please, please, of course we're mailing them who wanna read this. (the few..)   
Waah, we wrote "Griffindor" instead of "Gryffindor", didn't we (Kaeera: "Actually, Latrisha did. I wasn't involved...*gets hit by Latrisha*)? Iaay, how embarrassing really, in German it is written Griffindor (and Hermione is Hermine, try to pronounce that in German, it sounds awfully!) Will never happen again! Please review again, and thanx^.^

- **Wolf of Solitude:** Hmm, let us see what is the punishment for forgetting to read our story? *fetch the hammers from the cellar* Mwahahahaha, try to escape, you won't succeed!!! Only kidding, we would try to forgive you for, let's say,hmm, about 100$ everyone, is that OK? Think about it. Otherwise *look at the two hammers* Hehehe No, just review every following chapter, that would do. And thanx for reviewing this one^.^

**- Caylen Ryder:** Oh yes, another football fan! Latrisha is completely on your opinion, football rules! (Kaeera likes her saxophone more than everything else, try to understand. Kaeera: "There's nothing to understand! Football is boring! " - Latrisha: "Hey! I am a football fan!!"*takes the hammer*) Thanx and keep   
reviewing. Olé!

**- MamaLaz:** Like mentioned before, football (for you NOT soccer, we gave the explanation before^.^) rules! "Deutschland vor, noch ein Tor!" Oh no, Germany is playing miserably in the last time *snif* And damned England (sorry for that, all you fans) did really let us look old last year (just say 5-1!!!) Beckham, he looks good, but*grmmpf* (Kaeera sweatdrops and walks away, muttering something like "If this girl starts about football....")  
And Latrishas favourite team is about to descend into the second league, argh! Where is the fairness?! Thanx for reviewing, keep reading! *Latrisha searches for Kaeera who has huddled in a corner and is pouting*

**- Zombie-miho: **  
Latrisha: "Yaay, I wanna have Fred 'n George!!!"   
Kaeera: "Wonder where she got them all from"*thinks hardly*  
Latrisha: "Don't be that curious! Just be happy"*smiles sweetly at Fred*  
Kaeera: "Please, tell us your source!" *grabs for Ron*  
Latrisha: "Yeah, we need many other clones...Marco from Animorphs, Lucas Wolenczak from Seaquest(for Kaeera), P-Chan from Ranma ½ (for me^^), Zorro from One Piece....nyark! "  
Kaeera: Mwahahaha*munches some waffles* By the way, I want to have Fred and George. too!!!  
Latrisha: *dangerous glare* Oh, really?  
Kaeera: *puts down the waffles and glares back* "Yeah..."  
And if they're alive yet, they are still fighting for the clones (Thanx for all ur reviews^.^)

** - Xoni Newcomer:** Thanx for the praise *blush* Nice to hear that you had to laugh! Ah, how we love longer reviews like yours! Hmm, what is our plan for Harry *evil grins* He really muses much, sorry for   
that, but we already have a plan, you'll see. *glance at each other hoping the other one really HAS a plan*   
We also thought of "Lateera", but, er, that's awful, you're right. You're learning German? Wow, we're flabbergasted (what an idiotic word, don't you think?) Then, thanx for reviewing, vielen Dank! 

**Next chapter will be out as soon as possible^^**


	6. Puddle Fight

**Disclaimer:** WE DO NOT OWN ANYTHING!!!   


**Notes:** Hmm. First of all, sorry that it took us so long to upload this chapter. But it's all my fault (Latrisha) *sobs* Believe it or not, but I've already written about two thousand and five hundred words (I had almost finished!!!) when I somehow managed it to safe the fifth chapter over the sixth one*argh* *slaps herself once more*. Kaeera shouted at me perhaps half an hour non-stop. I'M SORRY!!! I can do nothing against my own not-existing intelligence! I sold it last year, I guess. There's no other explanation.  
But now we've holidays and there's enough time to write everything once more. But still I've so much other things to do: *argh* We have to read Maria Stuart over holidays!!   
Well, sorry once more. We have some answers to ur reviews again. U can find them at the bottom. And now, just read and forget how stupid the author is^.^ ~ Latrisha 

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**Confusing Experiences and Hidden Feelings**  


_by Kaeera & Latrisha_

  
  


**Chapter 6: Puddle Fight**  


"Harry! Ron!", Hermione whispered softly when she entered the room. It was eight o'clock in the morning. She watched the two of them who were not moving the slightest and repeated a little louder:  


"HARRY! RON!"  


Harry blinked slowly through the sunlight and yawned loudly. He stretched his bones and looked at Hermione confused. "Wassemadder?", he managed to say before yawning once more.   


Ron didn't notice anything at all.   


"The museum! We wanted to go there today, remember? It opens at nine o'clock, time to get up now!", she said matter-of-factly. With her tooth brush in her left hand she pointed towards the clock.   


Harry sat up. "Hermione. It. Is. Eight. O'clock."  


"Yup, I know. Hurry up, we might be late.", she said smiling and left. "Try to wake up Ron! I'm so looking forward to this.", she added.   
Harry gulped briefly. That should be his end. Waking up Ron at that time. He would have more chances to survive if he fought against a lion. But he did what he had to do.  


"RON!", he shouted and pulled down Rons blanket. Ron turned around and made a sweet "mhmmm".   
_This won't be easy_' Harry thought. He grabbed after his glasses and the world around him became clearer. After several minutes of trying to wake up Ron, Harry just took the bottle of water and let the water flow over Rons face. 

Downstairs Hermione only heard a loud, _loud_ scream of anger. Irritated she walked into the kitchen and looked up the stairs. "Everything's fine?", she asked carefully when some loud steps came running down the stairs.   


Ron. Looking like a rhino having rabies. "WHY THE BLOODY HELL DO YOU WAKE US THIS EARLY?! It's in the middle of the night yet!"  
He stared at her breathing angrily. "Butthe museum opens at-"  


"I don't care about when this damned museum opens, I just wanna sleep! Who wants to visit the _museum_?", he shouted and pronounced the word museum like he always pronounces 'Snape'. Then he muttered something like "Just can't believe that!" and walked over to the table. Hermiones smile froze. Her ears turned red and her eyes became watery. Harry, who had come downstairs shortly after Ron, expected her to cry back at Ron. But she did not. Instead, she just looked down at the floor, muttered a short "SorryI didn't want - you can go back to bed of course.", and walked into the bathroom. 

RONS POV

"Ooops.", I made. That was really not what I had planned. I looked at Harry. He stared at me madly and I could see the anger in his eyes. I did it again. I hurt Hermione. Badly. Oh yes. What was going on with me, shouting at the girl I like so much. The girl I-well, she's my best friend, so why did I do that? I should have behaved like Harry. He realized how happy Hermione was to visit this museum. He understood her much better than me. I just make her unhappy all the time. Harry didn't say anything. He put his hands onto his hips and just looked at me. I knew that he was disappointed and that he had expected more of me than that. He should really wonder why someone like me was his best friend.   


"I'm sorry.", I said. I didn't know anything else to say.   


"You don't have to apologize. Not to _me_. To _her_!", he grumbled. "See how you can put that right. But do it. And don't you dare do something like that again. I'll kill you."  


Then he grinned. "You have strange methods to get a girl.", he said. I wanted to reply something but I decided that I'd better not.  
Sighing I went to the bathroom. _Put it right_!, I thought and took a deep breath.

  
HERMIONES POV

  
I closed the door behind me and leaned against it. Damn! Damndamndamn! A tear went down my cheek. Was this the latest fashion? Shouting at me like mad and hating me? Ron always overreacted. I really had thought he would look forward to this, too. I thought I knew him. Better than anyone else, except of Harry. I thought he liked me, at least a little. You know, as a friend. A really good one. But all that was blown away the longer he stayed here. Why couldn't he be more like Harry? Harry was always polite and even this morning when I woke him up he didn't complain. I realized how stupid I was, having a crush on Ron every now and then. With every new quarrel I hated him again, more and more, and I felt that he did the same. It was confusing. Irritating. Idiotic. I should have let it drop long time ago. It was no use hoping Ron and I would ever be real friends like Ron and Harry were. Perhaps it was because of me being a girl. Friendships between boys and girls, that wouldn't work. And it was certainly no use even thinking about me and Ron _loving_ each other, being a couple. It would never happen. _Forget it, Hermione_!, I told myself and sighed. There are enough other boys. And to see the facts, who needed a boyfriend?   
There were more than enough other possibilities to spend my time, why should I waste it on Ron? 

"Hermione?"  


I jumped up. It was Ron. He was standing right on the other site of the door.  


"What?", I asked annoyed. I tried to sound as unfriendly as possible just to make him feel worse.   


"Listen, Hermioneuhm, you know, it's"  


Typically Ron. Not able to speak in complete sentences. I just wanted to refer to that, but I didn't.  


"Sorry.", I heard him say. Stop! Did he say sorry?   


"Excuse me?", I asked just to be sure.  


"I wanted to apologize!", he said quickly, and I could hear that it was very strenuous for him to say that. "Please, come out now, I want to go to the museum! It's just that I was tired and that I'm such a morning muzzle. I didn't want to be that rude!"   


I sat down. "You know, you don't have to pretend that you want to go there with me. It's OK if you don't want to."  
It wasn't OK. I wanted Ron to go with me. But I would never confess.   


"No, listen. Harry told me a few things about Dinosaurs last night. It sounded interesting. I want to see them."  


I somehow was happy again. In fact it didn't happen very often that Ron apologized for something. I started believing that he might like me. At least that he didn't hate me.   


How could I have thought of that?! I was confused, didn't know what to believe and what not to, but I left the bathroom. Now again I knew why I always wasted my time on Ron.  


"Then let's go.", I said and smiled happily at him. If I had thrown a look at Harry, I would certainly have noticed his happy smile. 

HARRYS POV

  
Ron and I quickly dressed and ate something. Hermiones parents were both at work. Quickly I tripped down the stairs and after waiting several minutes for Ron to be ready we finally set off.   


My two friends stayed rather quiet while we walked to the bus stop. But it was a great advance that they weren't fighting. If I had a diary I would have made a big, red note into it.  


We waited for the bus to arrive. When it arrived, Hermione pressed a red button and the back door opened. Inside she reminded us where to go in case we lost each other.  


"Just take the bus with the number four (A/N: In Germany the public busses have different numbers, but I guess they also have in the USA or in England, haven't they?) and get out after the seventh bus stop, OK? _Number fou_r, Ron!"  


We arrived and got out. The museum was right on the other side of the street so we would have no difficulty in finding the bus stop again.  
Hermione paid for us, her parents had given her the money.  


The museum was a huge hall full with nothing but dinosaur skeletons. It looked terrific. Around the skeletons the landscape of the world like it had been thousands of years ago was reproduced.   


"Boah!", Ron and I yelled at the same time. Rons mouth stayed open. Bones as big as myself were rebuilt to meter-high dinosaurs. There were small ones and big ones, and in the middle of all of them, there was the most dangerous and most aggressive animal that had ever lived on earth. I hadn't heard much of it before but when I saw it I just knew that it _had_ to be the T-Rex.  


"Wow!", Ron made again and again, trying to express how stunned he was. Hermione smiled at me. I guess she thought it was kind of 'sweet' that Ron behaved like a little child. I was only amused.   


We refused to take part on a guidance because we wanted to discover everything on our own. And then we already had the very best guide we could have:  


"And this skeleton is about twenty million years old. Just imagine that!!", Hermione told us. "By the way, our birds are related with the dinosaurs, did you know that? Their bones are hollow . And over there-"  


She went on explaining every little detail to us, and after we had seen everything I could definitely say that I knew more about dinosaurs than Dudley ever will with his idiotic little toy monsters.   


We sat down on a bench and ate our sandwiches. I was really relieved that nothing had happened yet. The night before I had had a terrible dream about Ron kicking against a huge bone. The skeleton started to shake dangerously and - well, imagine what had happened next. I woke up wet with sweat and believe me, I really, really was afraid of this day. But Ron behaved very good that day and he tried to be as polite as possible in front of Hermione. Probably he wasn't yet over his mistake that morning. With this fact on my mind I decided that I could leave the two of them alone for a few minutes.  


"Folks, I have to go for little Harrys.", I said and walked towards the men toilet.   


If I just hadn't  


**BANG!  
**

I swear that this bang even made the people in Japan jump up. "Uh-oh." I couldn't think of something more creative. "Damn."   


I didn't dare leave the toilet. But I had to see what had happened. I opened the door and - the first thing I noticed was that T-Rex was still standing. I sighed in relief. It had been one of the smaller ones that somehow broke apart or whatever. Through the crowd I could get a look to the entrance. A red-haired boy and a girl with brown hair disappeared inconspicuously.   


"Argh!", I made,_ why on earth do I have such intelligent friends?_  


Seventh bus stop, I reminded myself. Surely Ron and Hermione had already taken the bus home. It was only good for them to disappear as quickly as possible.  


I sighed. People tried to repair the dinosaur or at least to find the rest of its bones. I stayed about ten minutes and pretended to be very interested in one of those flying ones. Then I left the museum, too.  


Rain beat onto my jacket, I could hardly see anything through my glasses and to fill the barrel (A/N: a German expression) I hadn't got waterproof shoes. Great.  
I crossed the street and reached the bus stop. 

"OH SHIT! Can anyone tell me why this _only_ happens to _me_?!"

I turned my head to see from where that angry voice came. I saw a girl. A wet girl, to be precise. She carried a skateboard under her arm and had her short, curled black hair hidden under the hood of her wide pullover. Her trousers were wide, too, and she wore them far under her hips.  
She passed me and stepped angrily into a deep puddle. The dirty water splashed up and made me wetter than I already was.   


"Hey!", I yelled at her, "Look at what you've done!!"  


"Oh, it's raining, can't you see? You _are_ already wet.", she shot back annoyed and wanted to go on.  


But I didn't let her go without kind of revenge. I was in a really gloomy state and this came exactly well.  
I kicked some water from the aforementioned puddle after her and then she had a really wet back.   


"OK, you want war? You can have it!", she shouted and ran back to me. With a huge step she jumped into the water and made me and herself wet, and dirty. Of course I did the same. After five minutes we were both wet and dirty, standing laughing at the bus stop.  


I shook my head and the water drops flew in all directions. I felt like a dog.   


"What's your name?!", I wanted to know.   


"Nat.", she said but didn't ask me after my name. She squeezed the end of her pullover and water rained down. "Oh. I think that's your bus, isn't it?", she asked and pointed to a bus with the number four.   


"Yes, it is.", I said and turned around. I heard the bus coming nearer and just wanted to say good-bye when suddenly...-  
SPLASH!!!  


The bus drove through a puddle right next to the pavement. The brown coloured water splashed against my trousers and flow down into my shoes. 

"Uuaargh!", I shouted and jumped away from the bus. "Shit!"  


Nat started laughing like mad, it sounded as if someone had started to scream. Angrily I looked at her. "Oh yes, just laugh!", I shouted. I don't know why, but it really made me angry that she had laughed instead of feeling pity for me.   


I turned around to the bus again and wanted to press the red button to open the door. Right in this moment the bus drove off. I stood there, finger up in the air and had to look like a fool when 'splash' another wave of brown water went over my shoes.   
Nat laughed with tears in her eyes, came over to me and slapped onto my shoulder.  


"Thank you,", she said between laughers, "This saved my day!"  


Then she set off with her board, skated somehow very cool along the wet pavement without a word of good-bye.  
_Strange gir_l, I thought but was still angry that she had made fun of me. 

With the next number-four-bus I finally arrived at Hermiones home. They opened the door and looked at me apologizing. "Uhm, you know, we had to leave quickly after-"

"-yeah, after Ron had destroyed this baby dinosaur!", I interrupted her and glanced at Ron.  


"Uhm, to be honest, it wasn't Ron who kicked against a bone, it was me", Hermione confessed.  


"NO!" I shouted disbelieving.   


"Yes.", was the answer. She blushed embarrassed and Ron was very amused. He patted her head and said "Sweet, perfect Hermi destroyed it!" And then, well, he laughed. Full ten minutes he laughed. I completely forgot about my wet clothes. It was so nice to see them happy together.

**To be continued**

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**Xoni Newcomer:** Don't worry, your German is very good!! Although the word 'Idiom' is hardly used here^^. Oh, and about Hermione being so reluctant...we thought that she might be a little bit annoyed after this soccer game and all this stuff; don't worry, she will lighten up later in the story! Thanks for your criticism, it really helped (nobody of us noticed that she was too...boring.)  
Kaeera: "Oh, and I fully understand your opinion of football."*smiles*  
Latrisha: *glares*  
Kaeera: "Give me the gun...."  
*Latrisha hands over the gun and pouts*  
Kaeera: "So you want to have a clone of Arwen?*thinks hardly and looks at Latrisha*  
Latrisha: "I guess we can do that...*digs in her cupboard* She was here...somewhere...  
Kaeera:*slaps her head* "We will give it to you as soon as Latrisha finds it!"  
Latrisha: "Als ob dein Zimmer aufgeräumter wäre..."  
Thanks for the (loooong and nice)review - and 'Auf Wiederschreiben' (It doesn't exist, but we understand what you mean^_^) 

  
**Allison M Potter**: Gherkin...I guess we mean a pickle. BUT I looked in my English/German dictionary, and there was gherkin. No sign of a 'pickle'....so it's not us to blame if it's the wrong word...blame the authors of this dictionary *snickers* Thanks for putting us on your list!

**Lady Terayne**: Thanks for your compliments*blush*  
Latrisha: "You've French, too? We suffer through this subject..."  
Kaeera: "Yeah, I've French for 5 years now, and can't even hold a simple conversation*groans*  
Latrisha: "BUT....NOBODY CLAIMS FRODO!!! HE'S MINE!!!" *hugs her wallpaper of Frodo and kisses it*  
Kaeera: *sweatdrops* "Just ignore her..."  
Latrisha: *starts singing* "Frère Jacque, frère Jaque...dormez-vous, dormez-vous.... *argh*, don't know the text."  
Kaeera: *walks out of the room*

**MamaLaz: **  
Latrisha: *climbs on the car of her father and glares at MamaLaz* "I'm still a fan of the German-team!!! Wuhuuu!" *waves with a scarf*  
Kaeera: *passes by and sweatdrops(again)* "Uhm...Latrisha....you know that your father won't be very happy if you scratch his car?"  
Latrisha: "Oh." *climbs down*  
Kaeera: *turns around and gasps* "Six Years German? I've had English for...one moment...seven years now."  
Latrisha: *pouts* "I've only for five years...." 

  
**zombie-miho:** Wohooo! Thanks for the clones! *Kaeera grabs for Lucas, Latrisha for Ranma*  
Kaeera: "It's so cool! Thanks again*sniffles* You're the best!  
Latrisha: *looks around in her room where all the clones don't even have the place to turn around* "Cool...."   
Kaeera: "WAAAAH!! I have Zorro! From 'One Piece'!!!"  
Latrisha: "Hey...I wanna have him, too...*pulls her gun*  
Kaeera: "Hey....just to remind you....It's my turn to write the next chapter!!*evil laughter*  
Latrisha: -.- 

  
Thanks to the rest who has reviewed! And...we are really sorry for the delay...

  



	7. Let the music live!

**Disclaimer**: Harry Potter belongs to Rowling. We are just primitive underlings who do this for fun. 

**Notes**: Again we have to say that we are sorry for the delay. This time it's me(--Kaeera) to blame. Teachers were piling me with work, I had to study hard for some physics exam and I barely was at home on the weekends because of orchestra activities. Hope you won't kill me....o.o - Anyway, thanks to **Emalia Jinx **for her wonderful beta-work!!  


**Latrisha**: *walks around with the hammer in her hands* "Where's Kaeera?*looks around* This girl....  
**Kaeera***hidden behind the curtains*: "Shhht!*to the readers* Don't tell her where I am! She wants to kill me because I took so long for this chapter!  
**Readers**:*stand up and point to the curtain* "THERE! SHE'S THERE!"  
**Kaeera**:*glares* "Thanks...."  
**Latrisha**: *stomps on the ground*  
**Kaeera**: "Uh-Oh...."  
**Latrisha**: *throws hammer at Kaeera*  
**Kaeera**: "WAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!"*THUMB*  
**Latrisha**: *rubs hands and looks satisfied at the beaten form of Kaeera* "She deserved that!"  
**Kaeera**:*mumbles from the ground* "As if your chapters came faster..."

* * *

  


**Confusing Experiences and Hidden Feelings**

_by Kaeera Latrisha_

**Chapter 7: Let the music live!**

  
Light snoring could be heard coming out of the boy's room. Ron was obviously having pleasant dreams, because he was lying in his bed and smiling contently. Harry, in the opposite bed, had his head flat on the pillow, one arm hanging over the bed. The position looked quite awkward, however, the boy managed to sleep soundly. But soon his dreams, as well as the dreams of Mr.Ronald Weasley, were disturbed by one of the most terrible events....the most disgusting sound ever, a sound which hurts every ear, pierces every soul and lets your heart bleed. The sound of pure evil, the sound of your worst enemy, the scream of terror, the wailing of the damned, the sound of....

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP. BEEP-BEEP-BEEP.

....an electric alarm clock.   
Harry groaned, wanting to continue sleeping, but the evil sound didn't let him. Also, experience from living with the Dursleys had taught him that ignoring the alarm clock never did anything good, and so he yawned and rubbed his eyes. For the first moment, he didn't know where he was, but then he remembered it all...they were at Hermione's house, and today they had wanted to go shopping. This day: normal muggle shopping, tomorrow: magic shopping in the Diagon Alley. And the following day: returning to Hogwarts.

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP.

Uhm, where was this stupid alarm clock?  


"Ron?", he addressed to his red-haired friend, while he got up. "Are you awake?"   
His only response was a loud snore, and Harry felt a pang of jealousy. Why could he sleep and he not?

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP.

How could a normal human being sleep with this horrible sound in his ears? Harry searched for the evil clock, but couldn't find it. The sound was getting louder and louder. The boy frantically searched the blankets, the table, the floor....nothing. Where was this stupid thing??

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP.

...and another snore from Ron. ~Great.~, Harry thought gloomily. ~Just what I need in the morning. Concert à la Ron plus alarm clock. He continued the search in his pyjamas, but it was useless. Finally he tried to wake Ron. "Hey.", he shouted and shook his friend. "Wake up!"  
Ron, however, turned around, mumbled something and continued sleeping, not bothering about the increasing sounds in the small room.

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP....

"ARGH!!", Harry made and threw his hands in the air. "Okay. I will just leave.", he marched to the door, only stopped by a strange crunching sound...under his foot. He closed his eyes, let out a deep sigh and looked down on the ground.

BEeeppkrrss......krr....

"Of course.", he said defeated, sadly watching the rest of the alarm clock. Well, sad was the wrong word to use for it. Try 'relieved plus a feeling of evil joy'. He brushed the pieces away, threw a last glance at his (still snoring) friend and went to the bathroom. There he met Hermione, who was awake already and looked quite happy, unlike him.

"Morning Harry!", she greeted him cheerfully. "Where's Ron?"  
Harry pointed with his finger to the closed door. Hermione sighed. "Oh. Still sleeping, huh?"  
The boy nodded. "Uhm, can you wake him? I need to go to the bathroom first."  


"Why's that?", Hermione wanted to know. Harry just pointed to his bare feet, where some pieces from the alarm clock were sticking out between his toes. "Oh.", she said understandingly and patted him on the shoulder. "I know how you feel. It will vanish as soon as you eat something.", she reassured him smiling, and Harry trotted to the bathroom, while Hermione prepared for her difficult task....waking Ron.

HERMIONE'S POV

I stepped carefully into the room. Ron's snoring could be heard three rooms away, and it reminded me somewhat of my father. All I could see was the red head sticking out of the blankets. I approached the bed and shook him gently. "Ron? You have to get up?"  
He murmured something and turned around, smiling in his sleep. I couldn't help but smiling, too. He looked so innocent and....well, friendly. Sweet....  
Then I remembered how angry Ron had become the last time they had woken him early...and gulped. Wasn't there an easier method?

Thoughtfully I sat down beside the boy, gnawing on my lower lip. I didn't want to start the day with a fight - which would most likely happen if I woke him. But I didn't want to be late either...because then we would have to hurry and there would be fights too.

And then....I don't know why it happened. Or how. Or why I did this. It was just....reflexes, or something like that....some part of my heart which wasn't under the strict control of my brain. It just overtook my consciousness, and before I knew what I was doing, I leaned over him, bringing my head close to his. I hesitated for a short moment, seeing his face so near mine, and then I quickly....kissed him.  


It was a prickling feeling on my lips; I enjoyed it for maybe a second or so, then my brain started working again and I jerked up, shocked by what I had done.  
If he noticed this, he would kill me. Certainly! 

But the only thing my hot-tempered friend did was smile happily. He moved around, blinked a few times and - finally - woke up.

This gave me enough time to pull myself together. "It's about time.", I said, crossing my arms and hoping that I looked strict enough.  
Ron let out a huge yawn. "Stop it, Hermione.", he said grumpily. "I'm not in the mood for this, this early in the morning.", his face lit up. "Although I had a very nice dream..."  


Before I could blush again, I quickly stood up and left the room. "Hurry up. We want to eat breakfast.", I shouted back over my shoulder and went to the kitchen where Harry was already inspecting the fridge. 

"Just a quick breakfast today.", I told him. "We can eat something proper in the city. Some toast and marmalade, would that be okay?"  
He grinned. "Of course. Did you manage to wake Ron?"

"Uhm, yeah...", I blushed again and cursed inwardly.

Harry stared curiously at me, an all-too-knowing look in his eyes. "What!", I hissed and looked away. 

"Let's eat. I'm hungry!"  
We sat down at the table, Ron joined us a few minutes later.

"I'm hungry!", he announced and grabbed some toast. "I could eat an elephant.", he stared down at the marmalade. "This isn't healthy stuff without sugar, is it?"  


He tasted it and frowned. "Hey, wow, it's not that bad! Could be a little bit sweeter, but well...have to live with that." He put a huge amount of the red stuff on his toast and started eating.  


With a full mouth, Harry said: "Ya know, if we were in Hogwarts, we would have all kinds of delicious food on the table." , then, continuing his trail of thought, he added: "Although, if I was at the Dursley's right now, I wouldn't even get marmalade."

Nibbling my toast, I listened to the conversation, letting my thoughts wander around. Hogwarts....soon we would return to our school. I was curious about what would happen to us the next year. There was always something....special. Maybe it was because of Harry; the boy seemed to have a special sense for danger.

Or maybe it was just destiny. The only important thing was that Ron and I always got involved in some sort of fight. And I had to admit...I kinda liked it. Of course, in the middle of the danger I just wished that everything would end, but after it....I felt proud.

Then I was looking forward to all the new things I would learn. I like learning. There are so many interesting...things! Being raised in the muggle world, the THOUGHT alone of being able to fly on a broomstick had been totally weird to me. And now I had a friend who was Seeker on the Gryffindor team, another friend who was a full-blooded wizard, and well, a school full of magic. It was no surprise that I liked it, right? I mean...come one, what muggle wouldn't like to be able to do magic??

"HERMIONE!", Ron shouted and waved at me. "Hullo? Someone at home? I called you, like, three times!", he snorted. "Day-dreaming?" 

"Uhm...sorry.", I coughed. "What did you say?"  
He sighed and rolled his eyes. "I wanted to know what exactly we are doing today. Just shopping...or do you have any surprisesin forms of museums?"

"Just shopping. You can buy muggle items, if you want.", I suggested.

"No way.", Ron pulled a face. "I don't want ANY muggle things."

"Well...", I smiled mischievously. "But there's a shop which sells football clothing...ya know, scarves of your fave teams and so on."

"Really?", he gulped, while Harry and I were suppressing our laughter.

"Hmm...I will think about that.", he said slowly and grinned. "Are you ready? Then we should go!"

*******************

And so the trio found themselves again in the city. For once, it was a pleasant trip. Hermione didn't really care in which shops they went, because she knew them all. Harry and Ron were always of the same opinion, since Ron really had no idea what they could find in the shops. They spent most of the morning buying various things, chatting nicely about everything and nothing and enjoying their freedom.  


However, after a few hours Ron stopped and looked into the window of shop in which they hadn't been yet. "What's that?", he asked curiously, pointing at some metal objects which could be seen in the shop.

"That?", Hermione walked closer. "That's a music shop. You can buy instruments there!"  


"Wow, cool!", Ron was flabbergasted. "They look....interesting.", he stared at the golden or wooden instruments. "What's that?", he pointed to a small, silvery one. "It kinda reminds me of a flute..."

"It is a flute.", she explained.   


Ron looked at Harry. "But the muggles can't use magic! How can they play it?"  
Harry scratched his head. "Well, you blow into it. I think."

"Blow?", the red-haired wizard wrinkled his face in confusion and thought for a moment. Then he grinned. "I want to try that!", he announced, and before anyone could stop him, he walked into the shop. "Well...", Harry said slowly. "This could be interesting."

They both followed their friend at a safe distance; short enough that they could see everything, but yet long enough that nobody did think of them as his friends.

Harry walked slowly through the shops. He had to admit, it was an impressive view. Music had never been a great topic at the Dursley's, and magical music was totally different. This was a completely strange world; a world of people who could read notes and play a melody by blowing into an instrument. He touched a guitar, tracing over the polished wood and playing with the thought of trying to get a sound out of it.  


"So you just have to blow into it?"

"Ron...."

"Hey, this can't be very difficult!"

"Ron!"

"Ha, I will just try it!

"RON!"

Hearing the agitated discussion between his two friends, Harry turned around - only to see Ron with a trombone in his hands, preparing to blow into the huge instrument.  


He put the guitar down, let out a frustrated sigh and covered his ears. Nevertheless he could hear the disgusting sounds his friend produced with the trombone - resembling more the cry of a love-sick elephant than any kind of music. Harry winced and tried to shuffle away as innocently as possible. A man of the shop was already rushing towards them, looking like mother of the lovesick elephant. 

"What are you doing!", he hollered.

"I'm blowing.", Ron answered proudly, while Hermione had to bite on her lips so that she wouldn't laugh....Harry blinked a few times when he realized this. Normally their female friend was angry when Ron pulled stunt like that, but now....she seemed to be amused.

"You....", the shopkeeper said, searching for words. "We are a serious business. Clowns like you stay outside!", he then shouted and shoved them towards the exit.  


~So far for our trip in the musical world.~, Harry mused and followed them, flashing an innocent smile to the fuming man. ~At least my life never gets boring.~

"I KNEW that muggles can't make music like that!", Ron said triumphantly. "It's just impossible....blowing, ha!", he snorted.  
Hermione groaned. "Ron, it's not just blowing! You need to move your lips or so....it takes time to learn that!"

"Pah!", the young wizard waved off, which caused the girl to roll her eyes. Harry just chuckled. They walked through the street, which was full of young people at her age. Harry closed his eyes for a brief moment and enjoyed the sunshine. It was nice, being able to walk around with no danger lurking around somewhere, or without a bunch of people who knew him just because he was Harry Potter.

Hermione smiled a bit. She liked the day. Normally she wasn't so fond of shopping, but being together with her two friends made everything interesting....even fast food at the McDonald's. An amused expression flew over her face when she remembered what had just happened in the music shop. It had been too funny to be angry, she had to admit. The sight of Ronald Weasley with a trombone in his hands and a concentrated look on his face was....hillarious.

Now this Ronald Weasley had found something new which had caught his attention. Pressing his nose on the window, he looked into a large hall. 

"Hermione, what's that?", he wanted to know, staring at the people in the hall. They were looking at many screens, like the TV-thing back at Hermione's house. But they didn't stand completely still, they were moving their hands very fast. He blinked a few times, until he realized that there were little buttons and joysticks. He scratched his head. What was this odd muggle thing?

"Hey, a game center!", Harry announced and pressed his nose against the window next to Ron. 

"Wow! Cool!"

"Game Center?"

"There you can play games. Uhm, I have never been in one, but it sounds funny....can we try it out?", he looked pleadingly at Hermione, who sweatdropped. "Uhm, is this permitted for people under 18??"  


Harry thought for a moment. "I guess we just have to try....", he grinned and marched into the hall. 

"Come on, Herm.", Ron laughed and shoved the girl through the door. "It'll be fun....I think."

The hall itself was filled by many beeping sounds, which reminded Harry painfully of his alarm clock. Curiously he stared at all the people who were standing or sitting in front of screens, playing interesting looking games. He noticed that Hermione and Ron were walking in another direction, but he figured that they really wouldn't get lost in the relatively small hall, so he stayed where he were.

"OUCH!", someone had walked right into him. "Hey! Watch your way!", the person said angrily, and Harry blinked. He knew this voice, didn't he? Short, curly black hair....clothes which seemed to be too big for the small girl and...

"Nat?", Harry groaned unbelieving.

"Oh. The idiot from yesterday.", she said flatly and sighed. "Why do I always stumble over the stupid ones?"

"Hey, watch your mouth!", Harry replied angrily. "You insulted me first! If you are in a bad mood, find someone else to insult!!", he swirled around and stormed away. He was fuming....why was this girl always annoying him like that?  
I'll just be glad when I am back at Hogwarts, he thought. Then I don't have to see her again! 

  


RON'S POV

"Hermione! Look!", I said excitedly and pointed to a strange machine on the other side of the room. 

"This looks like a part of a car....the funny circle your father held in his hands, and the seat."

"You mean a steering wheel?"

"Whatever. Come on, let's take a look at it!", I grabbed her hand and walked over to the game machine. There, realizing what I had done, I quickly let go of her hand, trying to pretend that nothing had happened. "Uhm....that's a game?", I asked, more as a distraction than out of real interest.

"Yeah.", Hermione looked at the screen. "It looks pretty simple - it's a driving simulator. You sit in a virtual car and you have to steer it with the wheel. Then you can race against each other."

"Wait a moment.", I interrupted her. "Race? Does that mean that I can drive a race against you?"  
She nodded hesitantly, and I beamed. "Great! Herm, let's race against each other!!", I climbed into the seat and grabbed the wheel, waiting for her.

"I don't know...I've never played it before...", she said, looking uncertain. I rolled my eyes. "Do you think I have? Duh." Just sit down and play." I examined the machine. "is there a special button I should push so that it will start?"

"You have to pay.", Hermione informed me and took a seat. "Wait a moment.", she took out her purse and threw a few coins into the slot. Immediately the screen changed and I grabbed excitedly for the wheel. This was fun!  


On the first screen, we chose our cars. I took the large silvery one, while Hermione was happy with a smaller red version. Then we were standing at the starting line....or better, our cars were standing. I impatiently waited for the GO, and when it finally came....nothing happened.  
I stared at the screen. Hermione's car had started without problems, but mine was still standing there.

"You have to put your foot on the pedal, Ron!", Hermione informed me.

"A pedal?", I looked down on the ground, and really, there was a small black one. Quickly I stepped on it, and WRUUMMM! my car started and raced off the road....into some trees.

"Waaaaahhhh!", I yelled and tried to steer out of it, but it was more difficult than I expected. The car moved everywhere but the expected direction.... 

"Noooo!", I wailed, finally bringing it on the street again. I drove with the highest speed, suddenly finding a new pleasure in ramming the other cars and throwing them down the street where they exploded. "Wow!", I smiled, and looked over to Hermione who had a deep look of concentration on her face. Her car was far away from mine, and although I was speeding like mad, I had no chance to reach her in time.

Hermione won the first race and smiled triumphantly, a mischievous glint in her eyes. I had to admit, this side of Hermione was rather interesting; seeing her putting so much concentration into a pure game was totally new to me. But...I liked it.

"Ready for a revenge?", I grinned, and she nodded.  
We chose our cars and started the race again. Really, some of the muggle things weren't that bad.

**To be continued....**

**

* * *

**

Some answers to you reviewers.... - American word is fries, British chips, huh? Well, people, we learn British English in school, so...hehe, we can just call it pommes frites which is the German name(and the French one).

**Adnap Nottap** - Yes, Nat is back! Huhu...we have some plans for her, but not in this story. Remember, it's a Ron/Hermione....however, knowing us, everything might be possible...

**Caylen Rider** - uhm, see answer one :P So you liked Nat? She's funny, huh? Skater girl...

**Mizzy-Izumi** - Oh, the age....of course we know that dinosaurs died 65 millions of years ago*sheepish smile* I think we just oversaw it in the rush of writing....Thanks for telling us, however! 

**Angelic Fairy** - Yes, Ron is kinda sweet like that! *Latrisha hugs her Ron clone* "Awwww...." 

**Emalia Jinx** - Well, we know already that you liked the alarm clock. Again, thank you VERY VERY much for correcting the mistakes!!!! :) 

Uhm, and to your questions how Hermione knocked the dinosaur down...we might answer this later in a flashback :P You will see!! Thanks for the reviews! You are so great! *wave*

**Latrisha**: "Oh NO! My turn again...Writer's Block!!"*sobs*  
**Kaeera**: *laughs evilly* "MWAHAHAHAHAHA!"  
**Latrisha**: *glares and shows her hammer*  
**Kaeera**: "Wait! I have a guardian!" *pulls out her Legolas clone*

  



	8. Diagon Alley

**Disclaimer:** We don't own them...you believe us, do you? After all...who would think that two crazy chicks would own Harry Potter? No no no...we do this just for fun^^

Sorry for the delay. Like always...ehm, you just have to get used to the fact that we always need an eternity!

* * *

**Confusing Experiences and Hidden Feelings**

_by Kaeera Latrisha_

**Chapter 8: Diagon Alley**  


Slowly and very tiredly Ron sneaked down the stairs. His pajamas were wet with sweat. ~What a dream!~ he thought in horror. It was perhaps three or four o'clock, not the usual time for him to get up, but a strange dream had thrown him out of his sleep. The last thing he remembered was Hermione and blood, yes it might have been blood, all over her body. Ron shuddered. It had just been so real.   
But as he was already was awake now, there was nothing against having a look in the fridge. He drank a glass of milk and went to bed again. The next morning he did not remember anything about the dream. 

HARRYS POV

"OK boys, are you ready?!", Mrs. Granger asked in a good mood. She seemed to be very happy. Perhaps it was because of our shopping trip to Diagon Alley today. It must be very exciting for real muggles, but it was also exciting for Hermione and me because we had not been there very often either.  


"Oh, I have an owl!", Ron interrupted my thoughts. "It's from Mum." A beautiful gray owl landed next to him and chirped proudly when she stretched out her leg to show the little piece of parchment that was attached on it. 

_Dear Ron,_ Ron read to Harry,

_Don't forget to meet us in front of Gringotts. I hope the owl reaches you in time. _

"Tsss, Mom thinks I'm NOT able to remember such things!", Ron mumbled annoyed.  


"But you did forget about it, didn't you?", I asked. I knew Ron like the back of my hand.   


"Uhm". On his face appeared an embarrassed grin. He continued reading.

_Dad won't come with us, he has much to do in the Ministry. Does Harry feel fine?  
Love,   
Mom_

"Mom is simply crazy about you, Harry.", Ron sighed. "There will be an extra Weasley-sweater for you on Christmas day."  
We went downstairs and I brushed my teeth at high speed. Soon I was ready to go.   


"Guys, let's go now!", Hermione yelled while brushing her hair. It was the typical morning atmosphere. Mr. Granger, who vacuumed the living room, gave the background sound and Ron ran from one corner to the next, looking for his left sock. I could not find Hedwig's food, and she, deadly disappointed, stared at me for a while and then decided to go hunting. Sighing I watched her fly out the window and then I returned downstairs.  


"I'm ready", I said. "Ron?"  


Ron came jumping down the stairs, missing one of his shoes. In his mouth I could see the list with the things we would need. "Haf anyone feen my -"  


"It's here.", Hermione sighed and threw his shoe over to him. Finally we left and only Mr. Granger stayed at home.

Diagon Alley was full of people. It was the last day of the summer holidays and still so many people had not bought their school things yet. Busy wizards hurried through the crowded street and had difficulty in making their way through the people. A few new first-years stood in front of Olivander's, looking proudly at their new wands.   


"But mine has a unicorns hair!", a small girl with long, blond hairs told the others.   


"And mine the heart of a dragon in it!", the boy next to her replied. He seemed to be Asian.   
Hermione, Ron and Harry passed them grinning and shaking their heads, amused. It was only a few years ago when they themselves had got their first wands. Ron looked down at his list. "Where shall we go first?", he asked. "We need to fill up our ingredients for Potions ."   


"And all those new books we need", Hermione added with a dreamy look in her eyes. She seemed to float towards Flourish & Blotts. Mrs. Granger soon met the parents of Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan, and all five of them went into the Leaky Cauldron to drink a cup of tea. 

"Oh, I need to buy some owl-food." Harry said, remembering Hedwig. Surely she still was angry with him, but, Harry thought, she would keep on being angry for weeks if he did not buy her the most expensive owl-food he could find. Harry disappeared into the shop where Hagrid had bought Harry's snow owl. It was still full of cages and little cartons with tiny slots and holes in them. The strangest kinds of cats stared out of the cages. Their big, beautiful eyes gloomed golden through the darkened room and reminded Harry on little tigers. On the other side the owls were hidden under their wings to sleep. The air was stuffy and dusty. He asked an old witch where he could find the owl-food and then paid as fast as possible.   
Outside again, the sun made him blind for a short moment. When his eyes were okay again, he could hear Ron and Hermione speaking to someone. It was Draco Malfoy, the most unbearable guy on earth, the slimiest git the three friends ever met, leader of two other Slytherin boys, Crabbe and Goyle.   


"And the day began so well ", Harry said while walking towards them. Malfoy turned around with a nasty grin on his face. 

  
RONS POV

"Oh, Potter! I knew, this little muggle-lover couple never goes anywhere without you. Must be their hero, huh?", Malfoy said when he noticed Harry.

The word couple made Hermione and me blush slightly. For a moment I wanted to ask him if all the Slytherins, or even worse, all of Hogwarts thought that we were a couple. But then I decided, (and I felt that Hermione thought the same), that there was something more important to do at the moment. For example insulting Malfoy and his two servants. 

"You also never seem to leave your personal bodyguards at home, do you?", Hermione pointed out sweetly. Crabbe and Goyle chuckled stupidly, only understanding the word "bodyguard". They stopped immediately when Draco whispered a short but plain "Shut up!"  


For about five seconds he did not know what to reply, but then he held his nose up into the air and said "Did you say something? Sorry, I didn't listen, I usually ignore anything a mudblood says."  


I felt the pure anger boiling up within myself when he spoke out the last two words. Hermione knew, as well as Harry and I did, that mudblood was the nastiest word he could have called Hermione, whose parents both were muggles.   


"Ron, it is not that bad, I do not car - ", Hermione tried to calm me down, but without any success. How did this disgusting ton of bullshit dare call my - uhm, call Hermione a mudblood?! I gasped for breath and thought about the fitting words to express my anger. My fingernails were about to burry themselves deeply into the hard wood of my wand until one of them split apart at last.   


"Oh, Weasley, did I insult your little girlfriend?", Malfoy asked sweetly. "Sorry, that was of course not what I had wanted to do."  


Girlfriend? What would I have given just to be able to scream "Crucio" at that moment. Unfortunately the curse was too difficult and illegal, so I limited myself on an easy and, although simple, indeed very painful method.   
Before he had noticed anything, I kicked Malfoy between the legs, into a place very sensitive.  


"Ooow!", he yowled and hold his hands above it. "Weasley, you you"  


"Feel happy that he doesn't know the Cruciatus curse yet", Harry said coldly as if he could read minds. Perhaps he could?  


"Asshole!", Malfoy screamed after us, and the little Asian and his friends who were already passing us looked shocked about this word.  


Harry pushed Hermione softly and she went on, dragging me with her. "That was cool. Thanks.", she whispered with a gloating grin.   


My pulse somewhat went faster and I felt myself blushing slightly. But immediately I managed to calm down. "No problem!" I said and passed her so I walked next to Harry, suddenly feeling much more casual than ever.

HERMIONES POV

We stopped in front of Gringotts, waiting for Rons family to arrive. I was still flabbergasted about how angry Ron got, just because of Draco calling me a mudblood. I never got frustrated or anything when he called me that, but I guess that you have to grow up in the wizard world to understand.   
Ron had not spoken a single word to me since he had kicked Malfoy. I hoped that the look on Malfoys face would burn itself into my mind forever. Now I felt the same as Ron, when professor Moody had turned Malfoy into a ferret. But I felt like that because it had been Ron who did it. And he did it to defend me  


"Mom! It's about time!", Ron suddenly yelled and made me stop thinking.  


Mrs. Weasley rushed over and left Fred, George and Ginny behind her.   


"Harry!", she cried and pinched his cheeks so powerfully that Harry had to hold back a cry of pain. "Hello Hermione", she said, smiling at her warmly. Obviously she finally believed Harry that there had been nothing between he and Hermione. *Rita Skeeter*

RON's POV  


She had written some articles about the so-called triangle relationship of Harry, Hermione and Victor Krum. Victor Krum?! Suddenly I remembered that Hermione had said something about visiting him in the holidays. I felt some kind of pain deep in my stomach. Not that I was jealous, I'd prefer the word interested.   


"Herm?! Didn't you go on holiday before Harry and I came to visit you?", I asked peripherally. "I remember that you mentioned something about Bulgaria, didn't you?"  


I hoped that it did not sound too garish. Harry gave me a confused look but soon realized why I had asked. Grinning he imitated the duck-like pace of Krum, and just stopped at the moment Hermione turned to look at him. I secretly nodded to him.  


"Oh, you mean if I went to see Victor?", she asked in an all too normal tone. "No, my parents didn't allow me to go, but he will spend his winter holidays at Hogwarts to improve his English."  
~Dammit~, I thought, but it was good to hear that she hadn't visited him. 

Fred and George came over too, greeting Harry and Hermione. Harry took Fred's arm and pulled him close to his face. "So, what's with Ron's new cloak?", he asked grinning. "Found something?"   


Fred nodded. "Yeah, it's dark blue. And, only for your knowledge, sponsor, Mom didn't find any of our new inventions yet. Everything's going great!" With that he chuckled briefly. Harry really hoped that he did not have to try some of their new inventions involuntarily. Then Ginny caught his eyes. She had grown up a little since the beginning of the summer vacation. Her hair was tied back to a long, red pony tail. When she noticed Harry watching her, she blushed slightly and looked away.   


"We have already been in Flourish & Blotts.", Hermione informed Mrs Weasley. "But we still need our ingredients for Potions."   


They went into many shops, their bags getting heavier and heavier, until they finally had bought everything they needed. Harry and Ron didn't have a chance to talk to Hermione, because she was soon deep into a conversation with Ginny. Heavily gesticulating the two of them told each other what they had done and seen during holidays.  


"Girls!", Ron said rolling his eyes, but soon shut up when he heard Hermione saying the words: "and then, you won't believe it, he simply kicked him in the"  


Proudly Ron felt himself growing a few inches.  


They visited the Leaky Cauldron and collected Mrs. Granger. Together they went back to the car, out of Diagon Alley. In front of the magical wall, Mrs. Weasley hugged Harry.  


"Harry, darling, in case we won't see each other before you get back into the train, I just wanted to ask you to be careful.", she said seriously, 

"Every year something happens to you. Please try to ignore all abnormal things that might happen. Only for this year." Ron glanced at him eye-rolling. But Harry promised to try not to be involved in anything strange. Finally they left.  


"Bye Ginny, bye Fred and George!", Harry and Hermione shouted when they walked away. "See ya tomorrow."   


When they were back home, all three of them found themselves in a very gloomy state. Probably thinking about the fact that the following day school would begin again let their mood sink steadily.   


After supper, Harry forced himself to clean his broom stick for the third time that week, without flying on it once. Ron seemed to stare at little holes into the air, and Hermione was buried in one of her new school books.

HERMIONES POV 

This is the last day, I thought sorrowfully. How much would I have liked to turn back the hands of time just to have more time together with Ron and Harry. Of course we spend our time together nearly the whole year, but school was something else. I decided to ask Mom and Dad sometime if Harry and Ron could spend another week at us during the next summer vacation. That would be fun.  


I went through my check-list in my head.   


Where was my diary? Didn't I bury it under my pillow, just in case Ron would find it while searching through the rest of my things?  
I fetched it and wanted to put it into one of my bags, but then I felt the wish to open it. The last time I signed it was after the first task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament , when Ron and Harry stopped quarreling after a long, long time. I never wanted to forget that moment, so I wrote down every detail.  
But this evening I decided to write in again.

_Dear Diary,_ I wrote, not knowing how to start otherwise,

_Today is the last day of summer vacation. This time I am not looking forward to school. I'd rather stay here with Ron and Harry. Even when we quarreled a lot, Ron and me, it was nice.   
We visited the museum and the stadium and we had lots of fun.   
When we were buying our things today, Ron defended me in kicking Malfoy in the, well, you know where I mean. It is not that I have a crush on him, he is only so sweet, and, OK, perhaps, a little, tiny little crush he behaved so manly today, defending me, and _

I read everything once more. Bloody hell, why did I write such non-sense?! Where was I, in the middle of a soap opera? ~Just because you spend so much time with him. Harry is also there, it could be that you love him and not Ron. Where is the difference? Harry has brains, he is always nice to me and he - but Ron is also nice. And he is so sweet.~ Bit by bit I had to confess myself that I did have a crush on Ron. Hermione, are you ill? RON! Mr. Idiotic, man of mars, the only male human being who had really no idea how to behave in front of a woman!  
I felt my mind wanting to curse my heart.  
But I continued writing on the next page.

_I might have blamed him very often and I also can't see why I love him, but -_

"Love whom?" said a curious voice, which I knew too well next to my ear. Ron! After jumping up and nearly touching the ceiling I repeated my thoughts verbally. "Ron?"   


"ME?", Ron shouted blushing like a tomato. He glanced at my diary and wanted to grab after it. "Let me see!"  
I hid it behind my back and stared at him furiously. He always had the talent to bother me at the wrong time.   


"Ronald Weasley,", I groaned, "if you really do think I have a crush on you, then you are highly mistaken, my dear." I tried not to blush. I was coarse, and dishonest, but should I have told him the truth? He couldn't have stood that. He looked sheepish at me before turning around. "Good.", he said, somewhat sounding bothered.  


"But," I added as kind of an afterthought, "it is not Victor Krum!"  


But he didn't give a damn about what I said and went up. Harry had probably overheard the conversation and only shook his head. The rest of the evening none of us spoke a word. Our bags were packed and we now seemed to await the train to set off the next morning.  
Early we went to bed, the boys in the guestroom and I in my own room. My head was about to explode, so full was it with thoughts. It was already late when I finally fell asleep. 

Note to self: Never open that damned diary again!

**To be continued...**

**

* * *

Allison M Potter** - See, we talk to you^^ Sorry that we forgot it the last time. It's always a little bit tiring...   
_Latrisha_: "It was your fault! You forgot it."  
_Kaeera_: "Yeah, but I am always editing and uploading the chapters. I'm in stress! I'm two grades higher than you and have a lot of work to do!  
_Latrisha:_ "Really? -.- You are working? So why do I see you everyday reading mangas, sleeping, sitting in front of the computer and going out with friends???  
_Kaeera_: "*sweatdrops*.....That's all....educational!"  


**GinnyWPotter** - Wow, you want to overread our story? We are flabbergasted....but we already have a beta who's trying to of a great help(that doesn't mean that we always listen :P)

**Adnap Nottap** - No, Nat isn't a witch. We thought about that but then decided against it. However, we have already planned a story in which Nat will have a bigger appearance. Remember, this is Ron/Hermione!*smile*

**Chris and Crystal porter and Beth and Elizabeth Johnson** - Ron and Herm admit their feelings? Ahhh, not yet....there's much more to happen^^

**Medrelina the Weird** - No, Nat doesn't go to Hogwarts. She's a normal muggle, a skater girl with no magical powers. But how we said to Adnap, we have a plan for her....after we have finished this piece, of course!

_Latrisha_: Thanks for all the reviews! You are soooo great!*hugs everybody*   
_Kaeera_: *gets hugged by Latrisha* "HMPHF!"  
_Latrisha:_ *waves*"Now she must write the next chap. Have fun, Kaeera!"  
_Kaeera_: *glares and wanders off*  



	9. Traintalk

This chapter is LAME! Well, it's kind of a fill-in chapter, because after this one a new plot idea begins, and hopefully we'll both come over our writer's block during that time...However, we know that this chapter took a long, long time, but there were summer holidays and well...being lazy and...I guess you can understand^^

**Latrisha**: "They can't understand! They probably think that we are dead!"  
**Kaeera**: "Uh....maybe...*looks at the readers* "But we aren't dead! See?" *raises her hand*  
**Latrisha**: "Ya always wearing bones?"  
**Kaeera**: *looks down on her hands* *sees only bones* "WAAAAH! I'm a skeleton!"  
**Latrisha**: *snickers* "Serves you right!"  
**Kaeera**: *glares* "You did this!"  
**Latrisha**: *whistles innocently and tries to hide a magical wand behind her back*  
**Kaeera**: *takes the famous big hammer*  
**Latrisha**: *gulps*  
**Kaeera**: *an evil smile on her face* "Guys, you better read the fic...because this won't be pretty!"

* * *

**Confusing Experiences and Hidden Feelings**

_by Kaeera & Latrisha_

**Chapter 9: Traintalk **

  
"Where are my books??"   


"Oh no, I can't find my shoe! Has anyone seen my left shoe? The black one with red stripes?"   


"Have **you** seen my books?"   


"No...where is my shoe?"   


"Hedwig, don't bite m...argh!"   


"Where is my stupid SHOE?"   


"I need my books! I can't leave without my books!"   


Hermione was starting to panic. It was the day of her journey back to Hogwarts, the train would leave in two hours and she couldn't find her books! The three teens were running around the Grangers' whole house, searching for forgotten and misplaced items. It was, to be honest, absolute chaos.   


"Harry, have **you** seen my shoe?"   


"Shoe? What shoe?"   


"Oh forget it!"   


Ron was jumping through the whole house with only the right shoe on his foot. Mr. and Mrs. Granger magically appeared and were sitting in the kitchen, after their daughter had searched for the third time for her books - under the table in the dining room.   


"Hey, why is my shoe under your bed, Harry?", Ron waved with the black thing (now more dusty than black) and glared at his friend.  


"I have no idea.", answered Harry gloomily and stuck his hurting finger in the mouth. Hedwig hasn't been very agreeable this morning.  


Ron shrugged and put the shoe on his foot. "Well, it's always the same.", he said and followed Hermione with his eyes as she was frantically searching through the cupboard. "Uhm, Herm, I think I saw your books...didn't you study yesterday in the kitchen?"  


She slapped her forehead. "Oh...", within a second she disappeared. "Here they are! Thanks, Ron!" The boy shook his head. "And people say I'm disorganized..."  


Harry just grinned. He, after all, knew who the organized one was of the trio. "It's great to go back to school!", he then said, switching to another topic.   


"Hmmm....", grumbled Ron. "If there weren't the lessons, I would like it."  


Harry laughed. "Oh, come on, it's not that bad - well, okay, Snape doesn't count here - and we can see all our friends. And I can play Quidditch!" His smile widened at the thought of his favorite sport. Soccer, maybe, if you were a muggle, but Quidditch was definitely the best and he was looking forward to riding on his broomstick again.   


"I will absolutely love to be back in the wizard world!", Ron answered. "Television, okay, McDonald's, okay, Game Center, cool, but the rest? Forget it!"   


"Are you ready?", they were interrupted by Hermione who walked into the room. "My parents want to leave in ten minutes. It might take us a while to get to the station!"  


Ron looked at his half-packed bag and grinned at her. "I'll be ready."  
The girl just rolled her eyes and left again. 

  


**HARRY'S POV **  


It was the ultimate Chaos. Really. Everybody was stumbling around, searching for stuff in the last ten minutes we had and screaming like mad. I was no exception. For example I couldn't find my wand...until I looked into the fridge. What the hell was it doing there? I couldn't remember putting my wand into the fridge...it was really cold when I finally freed it and put it into my pocket. But...I have to admit...I enjoyed it. I really did! It was a nice chaos, and it was totally different from departure days with the Dursleys. I was with my friends, I would go back to Hogwarts and I wouldn't have to see ugly Dudley for the next year. What a relief! It was no wonder that I walked around smiling like a kid who had gotten a lollypop.   


But, as always, we finally managed the chaos with great effort and stumbled out of the house, too late, out of breath and with the burning thought that we had forgotten something really important. Hermione's parents drove us to the station, we quickly said goodbye and marched towards the platform. Hogwarts...here we come!   


Hermione had a big smile on her face. "Finally we can go back to school! I was beginning to miss it!"  


Ron just looked at her and made an impolite gesture towards me. I just grinned, because I felt the same excitement that Hermione did, and I knew that even Ron was looking forward, at least a little, to this school year.   


"Helloooo, Harry!", someone shouted from behind me and I turned around. There was Neville, with a beaming face, running towards me and the others. 

"Hi Neville!", I greeted him. "How have you been?"   


"Ah well," he smiled a bit, "I've spent the holidays with my grandmother, like usual. It was very interesting at times, but nothing special. And you?"   


"Oh, Ron and I spent the last week at Hermione's," I told him. "It was a very funny experience, we walked through the muggle world, watched a football game, went to a McDonald's. visited a museum....", I had to grin when I remembered our chaotic visit. Hey, Ron hadn't told the story yet...I made a mental note to ask him later in the train.   


"Muggle's are crazy, Neville," Ron continued in a serious tone and lowered his voice. "I tell ya, they are dangerous. When they watch football, they mutate into a crazy bunch of scarf-wearing and beer-drinking idiots. And they have dangerous kitchens, I burned my hand.", he showed his hand, as if the burn mark would be the sign of a dangerous adventure. Neville's eyes grew wide. "Wow!" was all he could say and I had to suppress a snicker. 

My own memories trailed back to the events in the muggle world. I had been raised as a muggle, so it had never come into my mind that something like instruments might be strange for magic people. Well...then I remembered the incident when Uncle Vernon had met Mr.Weasley...   


"Hey, guys, we had better get onto the train.", Hermione announced impatiently. We all looked at each other and then hurried towards the next wagon. "Hey, Ginny!", Ron waved towards his sister, who waved back and blushed when she saw me. I flashed her a smile, wondering for the thousandth time why she was always so shy in my presence. Then I stepped into the cabin.   


People were running around and screaming, some first years wandered like lost puppies through the train and we three tried to find a free place in the crowded cabin.   


"Where's my frog? I've lost my frog!", wailed a small girl, reminding me of Neville all the years ago, when he had been searching for Trevor. I shook my head...how many years had passed? I had become older, we all had, and soon school would be finished...I shook my head at that thought. I really had no idea what I could do after school. Hmm. Maybe travel around with Sirius...   


"Come on! Here's a free one!", Ron waved towards us and we all crawled into the small room, taking all our stuff with us. Neville followed us as well. I let myself fall into a seat and sighed relieved.  


"Every year, it's the same!"  


Ron nodded and searched through his bag. "Yep. Chaotic, loud and annoying. That makes me hungry!", he took one of the sandwiches we had made this morning.   


"Ron," Hermione cast him a warning glance. "We haven't departed yet, and you are already eating? The journey is long and maybe you should..."  
He waved it off. "I eat when I am hungry. Finito.", he grinned at her and bit into his sandwich.   


"Is this food from the muggle world?", Neville asked curiously. Ron nodded and showed it to him.   


"They have strange food, really, they have.", he started to tell. "These gherkins (A/N: _Gherkins_ are pickles, and yes, this word is in our dictionary!) at the McDonald's, I couldn't believed that they were supposed to be vegetables...I mean, they were all wobbly and weak and....urgh.", he made a face.   


"So, did you have any adventures?", Neville wanted to know. He was always interested in the events of our lives, maybe because his own was a little bit dull compared to ours. (Okay, he was living with his grandmother who was a bit crazy and we went to Hogwarts, so his life couldn't be called dull...)   


"Shall I tell?", Ron lowered his voice a bit and whispered something to Neville. I could watch how the eyes of the boy became wide. "Hermione did WHAT?", he shouted unbelievingly and stared at Ron.   


"You must be kidding!"   


Ron just shook his head and grinned widely. I looked at Hermione and asked bewildered: "Do you know what they're talking about?"  


She just glared at Ron. "I think so...Ronald Weasley, you will not tell the story!", she advised firmly.  


Right at that moment Dean and Seamus burst into the room, followed by Ginny. "Hey ya guys! We were lookin' you!", they shouted and we all greeted each other. It was nice to see old friends again! 

  


**NORMAL POV **  


It was a bit noisy in the small room, but after the first few minutes of agitated conversations, they all settled down. "Ron, you couldn't tell us earlier. What happened with Hermione?", Neville questioned. Hermione sent an evil look towards the poor boy. Ron grinned again and looked at his listeners. "I wanted to tell the story of Hermione, who actually managed it to knock down a skeleton in a museum!"   


"What! Really?", Dean couldn't believe it.   


"No way!", Seamus shook his head. "Tell us!"   


"Ron...", Hermione growled at the redhead, but he didn't seem to notice. Instead, he took a deep breath and started to tell his story.   


"When we visited the museum". Ron began in a low whisper, "I thought that it would be deadly boring. But I thought wrong. It was, to be honest, one of the most entertaining experiences in my whole life. First of all you could see such crazy skeletons, really big and fantastic. We watched them, astounded, and after a while Harry left us to go on the toilet. That was when it happened.", he paused and looked in the faces of the others. Hermione glared at him, and if looks could kill....Ron would have been more than dead by now. Unfortunately they didn't, and he continued his story.   


"While Harry was away, Herm and I walked to the skeleton of a smaller dinosaur. He was maybe as big as a small room, small for a dinosaur. I was wondering if it had been a dangerous one or not, and she told me that it was a plant-eater; as a proof she said that he had teeth of plant-eaters. I couldn't see them, the teeth, I mean, and so I didn't believe her. So Ms.Granger, intelligent as she is, stepped up to the skeleton and took his head in order to show me the interior of the mouth. Unfortunately the skeleton didn't like it and crashed all over the floor! You should have seen it! Every bone cracked and fell down in a loud rumble, and Hermione was standing behind it, holding the bony head in her hands and such a shocked look on her face...it was...", Ron burst out in laughter. "This look! Stupid and surprised and shocked, everything at the same moment, I should have taken a picture!"   


Seamus and Dean burst out in laughter while Ginny tried to suppress it. Neville wanted to calm Hermione down in saying things like: "Don't be angry, that happens to me nearly every day." or "You'll see, after a few times they'll stop laughing." Hermione, though, didn't seem to calm down, her head became red and her furious glares resembled laser guns.   


The redhead didn't notice it. He just wiped tears of laughter away and chuckled with Dean and Seamus. Harry grinned wildly, but hoped that Hermione couldn't see him.   


**HERMIONE'S POV   
**

I was fuming. Really, I was fuming! That stupid, impolite and cold-hearted idiot! How could he blame me like that? How could he? They were laughing at me and I....turned red and wanted to strangle Ron, immediately, right then, at that moment. RAAAAAH!  
Okay, girl, breathe. Breathe. I filled my lungs and....yelled at Ron. "RONALD WEASLY!"  


He looked at me with a teasing smile on his lips. "Hey, I am just telling the truth!", he raised his arms. I lowered my voice: "You will pay for this!"  
He raised his eyebrows and leaned to Harry. "Wow, she's really angry, huh?" Harry nodded and whispered back: "You are in serious trouble, my friend.   


"I can hear you both, so stop the acting.", I crossed my arms and looked away. "That was so not nice of you, Ron."   


Once again he flashed me a childish grin. Neville patted my arm. "Hey, things like that can happen to anybody, Hermione....", he stopped mid-sentence when he saw my glare. Then I sighed and leaned my head against the window. Maybe I was overreacting...sulking because I had a little accident...okay, a very big little accident, but nonetheless, it had been an accident!  


The train started to move out of the station. Parents were standing on the platform and waving goodbye to their children. I felt a flood of excitement. Finally we were travelling back to Hogwarts! Adventures were awaiting us, like every year. I immediately forgot my anger when I though of all the terrible and dangerous events through which we had had to survive these last few years. There had never been a year without any dangerous thread, or any injuries. It always seemed is if three of us were the target of every madman, every dark mage and possible danger. Some part of me was happy about that. This way I had learned many things...the value of friendship, how to be courageous in times of danger and...how important a friend can become.   


Another sigh escaped my lips when I remembered my love misery. He would never see me as more than a friend, more than the smart geek, the girl who studies all the time and doesn't know how to have fun. We so don't fit each other. He, as the impolite, lazy jerk he is. We are destined to fight, that's it. So why do I love this....idiot? Why?  


I felt bad. Logically this shouldn't happen. But if love were logical, I would have searched for a smart guy who's nice, who adores me for what I am, and not Ronald Weasley. Yargh. _Talk of girl problems! _  


My thoughts had trailed off and I hadn't listened to the ongoing conversation. When I looked back to the others, I noticed that Ginny had seated herself directly beside me, while the boys were engaged in a enthusiastic conversation about....football.   


"What's up?", the girl wanted to know.   


"Uhm...nothing.", I blushed. Why did I blush now? There was nothing to blush, no reason for it....stupid blush, go away!   


Ginny smiled a knowing smile, like Harry always did when Ron said something stupid. "Ah...the old problem, huh?"  


"I don't know what you are talking about!", I frowned. Or at least tried to frown.  


She snickered. "Unfortunately we can't discuss it in here. But this evening I will come to your dorm! Then we'll talk!"  


I wanted to say something, but didn't know what, so I closed my mouth. Ginny had become a self-confident girl and I always enjoyed talking with her. She knew interesting stories about her brothers...   


"And I tell you, Quidditch is far more interesting than football!", Ron shouted. "After all I have seen a game! There's only one ball! The players can't fly! And when you cheer, they will nearly kill you!"   


"Uhm, Ron," Harry pointed out, "They were angry because you cheered for the wrong team. Basically the same would happen at a Quidditch game."   


"Oh...Right.", Ron scratched his chin. "But nonetheless: quidditch is better!"   


I decided that talking with Ginny was far more interesting than listening to his...ehm...conversation.   


"So, did you enjoy the holidays?", I wondered.   


"Oh, they were great.", she grinned. "Fred and George were always inventing new things, Mum nearly went crazy. I brought some of their stuff...it should be quite interesting and," she lowered her voice, "when you need something evil to get a revenge on my brother, just come to me. There's really mean stuff in my bag!"   


I looked at her, flabbergasted. Then I smiled. "Ginny, you look so shy, but you are a real Weasley."   


"Ah, says the girl who managed to have a date with Victor Krum."   


I had to chuckle. "True." Victor had been a very interesting...friend. I always looked back with joy when I remembered talking with him. He had been so polite, and he had liked me, and he had actually made compliments...a small sigh escaped my lips. Too bad that a certain person couldn't be that nice...   


The train continued to race through the country and I stared out of the window. Hogwarts....and me, a witch. Hermione Granger. Wasn't it strange? I had been raised as a muggle, had attended a normal school, with both my parents dentists, and I had never expected that there was something else than a normal muggle life. Duh. I always believed that I would study something and become a professor or so. And then this letter came, my invitation to Hogwarts and my parents talked with Dumbledore...the first time I had seen this world. The first time I had met Ron and Harry, both noisy small eleven-year olds who I couldn't stand. Our first fight together, the turning point in 'our' history, when we finally became friends.  
And now another school year with them. Another school year full of problems with Snape and Malfoy. Another school year full of excitement, of worry and joy. Yeah, I was looking forward to it.

  


**To be continued...**

* * *

**Allison M Potter** - ff.net is really down a lot, huh? Well, thanks that you reviewed anyways! The diary was just a...must^^ And we hope you liked the next chapter, too, although it was short and boring...duh...

**meskup** - Same here, thanks for reviewing! ff.net was being annoying, and we didn't get many reviews*sniff sniff*

**Caylen Rider** - Confess...Ron and Hermione? Well...later..sometime...we have an idea...we actually **have** an idea worked out, and we hope that you'll like it...*gg* And sorry for the delay of this one...we're not the fastest writer!

**Mystical-Grace** - You're dying of laughter? *kaeera takes a stick and pokes Mystical Grace* Hey, ya gotta live, otherwise we have lost a reader!! :P Thanks a lot for the kind review!


	10. Back in Hogwarts The Prediction

**Disclaimer**: Harry Potter and the other characters (with expection of Nat) don't belong to us. Duh, there you go -.-

**Notes: **Hey folks!!! Here's (finally) chapter 10, but, before you read it, please read the following little story, because only THEN you can understand why we forget good old Dark Lord a little.  
It took place backstage, and nobody besides Harry and us knows it. Harry didn't tell it anybody it just was too absurd ^^' ...   


_PS: This is the absolute weirdness. Don't read it if you don't have a sick taste of humour like we two. It's not perverted or anything like that, it's just...weird, and you probably won't find it amusing at all. It's just that we invented this scene and laughed tears about it...so if ya don't like something like that, skip it and read the story^^_   


~~~   


We want to lead you back to the end of volume four, right to the scene when Lord Voldemort rose out of his cauldron, being helped so much by Wormtail. And here, our dear readers, the story would continue otherwise as you might think. Yes, this is the first performance of the unbelievable, earth-shattering truth   


White smoke poured out of the cauldron and down to the earth. That was definitely not part of the task Harry had to do. Through the density of the smoke Harry was able to make out the shadowy contours of a very thin man.  


Cold sweat ran down his body when he tried to move his hand down to his wand, but he was paralysed. Wormtail provided Voldemort black robes and his wand, and then the glowing red eyes stared at Harry with a nasty, hardly noticeable grin. Harry stared back at him, knowing that his end was near. The air felt like pure electricity, itching noiseless down his body. Harry could only hear his own irregular breaths, full of fear as he was confronted with the realization of his own soon death.  
Voldemort raised his wand and, without a warning, spoke out the most terrible two words Harry had ever heard. _"Avada Kedavra!" _  


  
Silence. And then -  


"Pang!" That was the word that was to read on the tiny little flag which had just been shot out of Voldemorts wand among tons of confetti and the one or the other red plastic rose.   


Voldemorts grin gave way to a look of pure dismay. His white head blushed until it reached the colour of a tomato. Searching he tipped the top of the wand against his cauldron, which only had the affect that the tiny flag moved to and fro and the blue "Pang!" changed into a sweet baby pink.  


The extremely embarrassing situation got far more embarrassing when his deatheaters suddenly started to blow into little whistles and to throw with the confetti. Singing a deadly wrong "Happy Birthday tooo yoouu" they threw away their black robes and showed the yellow and red ones they had worn underneath. Dancing and singing they ran towards the next pub to make "a proper party for the birthday of our Lord".  


Harry began to take pity on his enemy. But he really couldn't help bursting out into laughter when the following happened:  


Amongst all the graves a woman and her daughter went for a walk. Voldemort nearly collapsed when he heard the little girl shrieking shrilly "Mummy, Mummy, look at that man!! Is he crazy, Mummy, is he a real crazy man? Can I go and touch him, Mummy?" 

Voldemorts eyes almost popped out of their sockets. "Do not look at him, dear, he is ill." the sorrowful mother explained to her daughter while her disgusted glances hit Dark Lord. She tried to cover the eyes of her daughter and pushed her to walk faster. And Harry used the time Voldemort needed to come to terms with this unbearable humiliation to get back to the Portkey.  


* * * * *  


And that, my dears, was what really happened when Harry and Cedric disappeared. Harry just wanted to make his story sounds more heroic. And of course he also wanted to honour Cedric in telling everybody that he was killed by Lord Voldemort.  


Actually he died with laughter  


Here you had it, the unbelievable truth. THAT'S the reason why we tend towards forgetting Voldy a little. But we're sure J.K.Rowling will help him out of this disgrace. And while she's doing that we will go on posting our story to keep your mind up to volume five. Now, on with chapter 10! We hope you all will have fun with it (like we had when we searched for the ideas to take the piss out of "Voldy" ^.^' ) 

* * *

**Confusing Experiences and Hidden Feelings**

_by Kaeera & Latrisha_  


**Chapter 10: Back in Hogwarts - The Prediction **

  
HERMIONES POV 

I woke up early in the morning, remembering only parts of the confusing dream that, I thought, must have woken me up. However, I sat on my bed and stared out of the window. Rain fell down on the Hogwarts' grounds, and the sky was all grey. To tell the truth, the mood I was in was almost worse than the weather. After my conversation with Ginny I had made a decision: I would finally let Ron know how I felt.   


I clearly remembered Ginny's voice in my mind. _'I will talk to him if you want. Hermione, we are friends! I know that Harry noticed it as well, and he can talk to Ron, too. Why don't you talk to your friends?_'   


Oh yeah, did she think that it would be that easy? And Harry, _Harry_ knew about it? How is it that _Harry_ knew about it? Am I the only one who had noticed it so late? Was it so obvious?!

I shook my head. Everything was so confusing. Sighing I left the dormitory and went down for breakfast. I was one of the first to be down. On the Gryffindor table I objected Harry, who was deepened into a book about Quidditch. A peace of toast hung lifeless out of his mouth and his hand hold a glass of milk a few inches away from his face. Probably he had forgotten to drink. That was so typical for him! Harry and Quidditch, no one would ever be able to interrupt him when he just _thought_ about his sport. I wondered if I should never-the-less ask him to -   


"Hi Hermione!" Neville. He walked towards me and waved his hand. I expected that he admired me a little, as I was so good in school and all. But then I remembered that yesterday he had tried to comfort me because of my dinosaur-accident. I guessed he thought I might need some comforting this morning too, and he thought that it would be the best to greet me friendly.   


"Good morning!" I replied annoyed.   


Harry looked up from his book. "Mornin' " he said, his mouth full with the rest of his toast. Then he noticed his glass of milk and put it back on the table. I sat down next to him and grabbed at the cornflakes.   


"Hi." I said. "Already awake?" _Argh, what a question! Couldn't I see that he WAS awake? _  


Harry grinned. "Here, our new timetables." He gave me my timetable and continued reading. Hmm, Arithmancy was my first lesson on Monday. I was looking forward to it although Harry and Ron would have another subject. I spied over to Harry's timetable. Professor Trelawney?! Oh no, poor boys. I grinned evilly and started buttering my toast.   


My thoughts drifted back to Ron. What well, what, if I made it stop? What if I forgot about the whole thing, having a crush on Ron? If I made them go away, these feelings for him? Really, it was insufferable not to know how he thought about me. I just _had_ to know.   


"Morning!" An all too nice voice said behind me and the owner of it yawned loudly. The said object with the sweet red hair and the unbelievable need to make fun of me had entered the Great Hall.   


"Harry, why can't you wake up quietly? It's horrible to be in the same dorm as you!" Harry started laughing. Ron sat down next to me. "Hmm." he made, looking at the timetable. "Good old Trelawney, huh?" He made a face. _"Harry, Ron, I'd pay attention if my future was that scary. "_

As far as I could tell, that was one of her most used sentences during the lesson. And Ron had could imitate her so well that anyone could mistake him for her if you just heard his voice. Everybody was laughing so loud that I had to clear my throat firmly when I noticed Professor McGonagall passing by.   


When I was done with breakfast, I went upstairs and took my books for Arithmancy. Ginny followed me, and when we were out of sight she asked "And?" and watched me curiously.   


_What 'And?_', I wanted to say, but I knew exactly what she meant. "It's," I began, "well, I don't know how to say anything to him. He's a friend, you know. He would certainly not expect me to say 'Hey, I love you!'"   


Ginny had to grin at the thought of that.   


"You wouldn't say kind of that to Harry, either.", I told her   


"Actually I gave him up, if you want to know." Ginny said, suddenly sounding sadly. "There was no point, really."   


For lack of anything more creative, I said "Oh."   


How was it that I hadn't noticed that? Ginny was my best friend. But we never spoke about Harry. But now as I knew why, it suddenly seemed clear to me. Ginny had stopped blushing so badly when she saw Harry, and she even dared talk to him as if he was a normal person. "Why, Ginny? Uhm, why did you give up on him?"   


Her mouth formed a gentle smile and she said: "Hermione. We both know that there is Cho in first place. And even if she wasn't, young Ginny Weasley would certainly not follow. I like Harry, but I just don't want to run after him anymore without him ever noticing me."   


I understood her. I'd read a saying once, and it said 'The worst way to miss someone is to be sitting right next to him, knowing that you can't have him.' In this moment, it seemed to me the most intelligent saying I had ever heard of. 

  


HARRYS POV **  
**

I guess in every story there is always a person who sleeps long and even during the day is not fully awake. You know, these people who absolutely never get the point. Who always get into the biggest mess without even noticing what they did wrong. But you just cant be angry with them. Ron is that person.   


Loudly yawning he sat next to me, after Hermione had left.   


"What are Herm and Gin talking about the whole time? They always stop when I'm around." he asked curiously.   


" I have no idea," I lied grinning. "Like Fred and George, those two, aren't they?"   


"Perhaps they are planning something" Ron speculated and scratched his chin.   


"Possibly." I said and tried to change the topic. Ron would somehow have to find out himself that _he_ was the girls' main topic. Even if I doubted strongly that he ever would find it out. But I wouldn't put my nose into my best friends' affaires. I could see it last time, when it ended in a broken skeleton and another quarrel about it in the train. It simply had no use. But perhaps when I was asked for   


"Don't you think that we should fetch our things?" I asked, remembering a fuming Professor Trelawney.   


"Yeah. Trelawney is waiting" Ron said in a voice which seemed to be out of a horror movie. "Let's go."   


We fought ourselves up the endless-seeming stairs. "Why can't she move further down?!" Ron complained when we arrived at the final stairs. 

  


NORMAL POV   


All their hurrying had been useless. Harry and Ron were late, and, three minutes, that was much to much for their teacher.   


"Harry Potter! Ronald Weasley! I knew that you would be late!"   


Lavender threw a furious glance at Harry, as Professor Trelawney just wanted to read out of her hand when she was interrupted by them. Harry looked down at the floor and tried to look guilty. His teacher stared at him strictly and shook her head. "Harry, Harry." she said. "I wonder why you're still alive. My inner eye always tells the truth." She looked sorrowfully at him. "It said that this year would be your last at Hogwarts."   


Ron rolled his eyes and sighed. "She should invent something new." he whispered annoyed. But Pavarti's eyes widened. Ron would never be able to prove that she had a little crush on Harry, but he _knew_ she had.   


Meanwhile, but in another corner of Hogwarts, other conversations were taking place.   


"Are you sure, Professor Dumbledore?" a shaking voice asked.   


"No one can be sure about that, Minerva. Even the most powerful witch or wizard couldn't say it for sure."   


Professor McGonagall nodded with a gloomy expression on her face. Evidently she thought that she might have known that herself.   


"Butwhen? Someone has to know _when_?" Snape asked.   


"_If_ it happens, then it will be this year. That's all I can say. And now, return to your classes. I'm sure they're waiting anxiously." He twinkled and the few teachers left.   


Ron packed his book back into his bag and wondered why he had fetched it at all. "That was the hardest lesson we ever had. I couldn't fall asleep!!" he said sadly.   


"Unbearable." Harry replied, standing up and making his way to the door. They were, as always, the last to leave, because they didn't find it necessary to listen to Professor Trelawney, even when she told them to go.   


Reaching the door, an odd whining made Harry look back. Through the gloominess of the room he was able to make out Professor Trelawney. She stood in front of the fireplace, her head buried in her hands, breathing hard.   


"What..?" Ron started, but was interrupted by her.   


"It will happen! Christmas. Sometime around Christmas. Jupiter will influence Mars, hmmmm" The whining started again. Her voice sounded old and weak, and very deep. It was frightening. "I see Moon. Oh no, NO! Neptune is coming to close."   


She sighed and sounded even older and weaker than she did before. "It _will_ happen. The constellation of planets and stars will make it happen. Like thousands of years ago. One week, one week without - " She jumped up. "What? Oh, I must have fallen asleep."   


She looked around and saw Harry and Ron standing in the door frame. "Out! What are you still doing in here? Go now!"   


Harry left and pulled Ron, who was about to say something, with him. "I'll tell Dumbledore. Tell no one about it, except of Hermione, OK?" Harry vaguely recalled the last time he saw one of Trelawneys predictions. Dumbledore had instructed him to tell him every other one, too. And that was what he was about to do. Ron walked on, mumbling something like "No idea what he's talkin' 'bout."   


* * * * * *  


Harry ran to the office of Albus Dumbledore, and as if Fortune wanted it, the door opened exactly when he got there.   


"Professor Dumbledore, sir!" he said out of breath and leaned against the wall.   


"Harry?" he answered friendly, like he almost always was, but with a slightly worried undertone in his voice. "What's the matter?"   


"Professor Trelawney! She's made another prediction!" Harry told him and watched how the school head's eyes widened. "What was it about?"   


"She said that it would happen around Christmas and that the planets are or will be wrong or something. It was a real one again, I swear!"   


"Hmm." The Professor made. "Yes, indeed. The third correct prediction. I should _really_ raise her salary."   


* * * * * *  


It was time for lunch when Hermione prepared herself for a very hard task. She made her way through the corridors and let the question go through her mind again and again. _"Would you mind me sitting next to you, Ron?"_ No, that wasn't good. _"May I?"_ No, not either. Why the hell was she thinking about that? Hadn't she taken place next to Ron at least a million times before? So why should she ask him now? 

She was too excited to notice that she already had reached the Great Hall.   


"Hermione! Where have you been?" Ron shouted from the other side of the hall, but loud enough that at least fifty shocked students turned their heads towards him. Hermione sighed and waved. Her question hadn't been necessary because the only chair that was free around them was next to Ron. 

She joined her friends and felt her face blushing slightly every time she heard Ron talking. And, God, he talked a lot! One more word out of his mouth and she was going to throw herself out a window.   


Waiting for the plates to be filled, she looked around in the hall and tried to ignore that her face was the same colour as Ron's hair. But the plates weren't filled. Instead, Dumbledore stood up and cleared his throat. When silence ruled, he began to speak.   


"Students of Hogwarts! You all should already have noticed that you are attending a school of witchcraft and wizardry. Otherwise, please take notice of it now. Well, like in the Muggle World, some problems exist even here, for which even the best witches and wizards cannot find an answer. Some of you might have heard about it yet. I have to inform you that next Christmas, - " he took a long breath, "next Christmas, the Week of Fuming Neptune will come over us." That was the end of his speech.   


Some students raised their eyebrows, other ones continued eating, but most of them didn't seem to have realized what Dumbledore had just said.

But -   


"OH MY GOODNESS !" Hermione squeaked in panic and covered her mouth with her hands, making hundreds of students look at her wondering what was so terrible.   


"How shocking." Ron commented sarcastically and rolled his eyes. _Overreacting like always_, he thought.   


"Indeed." Harry agreed seriously, but later wished he hadn't said anything.   


Hermione stared at both of them, obviously wondering for the thousandth time if they didn't read anything. "Let me guess! You two don't even have the slightest idea what the Week of Fuming Neptune is ?!" she asked matter-of-factly. "Then I will obviously have to teach your sorry excuses of brains that the Week of Fuming Neptune means that all wizards and witches will have to come to terms one week without magic. No magic, do you understand the words that I am saying?" She was really getting mad on them, as they were always making fun of her.   


Ron rolled his eyes. "Oh. What a catastrophe. I guess we'll survive, won't we, Harry?" But Harry did understand.   


HARRYS POV   


As far as I could tell, a week without any magic would be the most terrible catastrophe that could happen. I mean, if magic didn't work, it would be the total chaos. 

Before long, even the stupidest student knew what was going on. But only the ones who were able to think further understood the real problem. 

Well, it's not really a problem to have to live a week without magical tricks and games, like Fred and George said. 

And it also is not important that we all would have to fetch our food alone because the Houselves could not beam it up. 

And it was also not needed to mention that we would have a week without any lessons, what made Hermione really unhappy although she knew the real problem.   


OK, I could agree with Ron that one week without Quidditch would be hell, but actually it was much more important that without magic, Hogwarts and all other magical schools and towns would be visible for the Muggles. Ascabans chains and curses would be broken and all the dungeons of Gringotts would be inviting far open for every burglar.

It was a terrible thought. I looked at Hermione. She nodded and her eyes spoke volumes. 

**To be continued...**

* * *

The new plot idea has begun!! What do you think of it??

**Angie** - We are continuing...sorry that it took so long, but we both are quite busy! You're taking German? Hey, that's cool! Well, Gummiband is not that interesting for us (pickle is much more interesting, because it sounds like the German word for 'pimple'...O.o). And 'very good' is 'sehr gut', not 'zey good'^^ But it's cool when somebody tries to review in German! Thanks! It's a difficult language to learn, far more difficult than English.

**Tenchi-Sama** - Geniuses? No way! We are just two normal teenage girls, and this story is the product of our weirdness. So don't talk like that, you make us blushing...*blush* But thanks for the review! It's so great to hear that people like this story! (And please don't chuck your story into the trash! We haven't read it yet, but maybe we'll do...when we find time...) Anyway, thanks for the nice comment! You're great!

**sanguinans** - Wohoo, we updated again...we are slow writers, forgive us! But you have a new plot idea now *g* Happy?

**Allison M Potter** - Ron immature? Awww...but an immature Ron is cute, isn't he? But he will grow up during the story...probably...:P And we both like it when Hermione makes mistakes...how you said, it makes her human! Thanks for the review!

Again we have to thank our wonderful beta-reader for correcting our mistakes, and of course we thank everybody else who has reviewed - Thank you guys, we have nearly hundred reviews now and that's a lot!!! You're so great!*sniffle*  



	11. The Nightmare begins

And now....we have to celebrate a special day....because....WE HAVE REACHED OVER 100 REVIEWS! Isn't that great? We never, never thought that some people would like this story and write such nice reviews! Honestly, it's like Christmas or something like that....Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

**Latrisha**: "Wow, that's so cool...I've never had that many reviews before!!"   
**Kaeera**: *beams* "Yeah, don't we have cool reviewers?"  
**Latrisha**: "Actually we wanted this chapter to be very long, as a kind of Thank You for all the reviews...well, actually _Kaeera_ wanted to make it very long..." *glares*  
**Kaeera**: *laughs sheepishly* "Uhm, but somehow it isn't longer than usual. Sorry!"  
**Latrisha**: *mutters something*  
**Kaeera**: "What?"  
**Latrisha**: *smiles sweetly*  
**Kaeera**: *pouts*

Notes and Answers to our fellow readers are, as usual, at the bottom.

* * *

  
**Confusing Experiences and Hidden Feelings**

_by Kaeera & Latrisha_

**Chapter 11: The nightmare begins **

RON'S POV  


One week without magic. At first it didn't sound that bad. I mean, come on, one week is nothing. Seven days without magic, we would be able to do that....right?  
It was Hermione who explained me that there was more than that. Our whole school is based on magic, so nothing would work. We couldn't play Quidditch. The house elves wouldn't be able to magick up our meals. We wouldn't be able to..I don't know. Strange. We would be like muggles.  


I briefly wondered if all the magical creatures would disappear, too, but Hermione said No, and I believed her. When it comes to facts and knowledge, she's always right.  


Everybody was talking worriedly with their neighbour, filling the Great Hall with a noise so loud that you had to scream. The food was forgotten.  


"It's terrible!" wailed Hermione. "One whole week without lessons! I'll be lost...and we need the lessons for the exams!! And what will the teacher do when a muggle sees Hogwarts?"  


"Waiting until it's over and then casting a memory charm on them?" I suggested, only to receive an annoyed glare.  


"Oh yeah, on how many muggles? They aren't that stupid, Ron, believe me. It will be in the newspaper and on the TV, and soon the whole world will know about it!"  


Harry sighed. "Why couldn't Trelawney have been wrong? Her predictions are usually *never* correct! So why this time?" He seemed deeply frustrated.  


"Trelawney?" Hermione was confused. I just looked at her and started to explain sullenly what had happened earlier. "She got kinda strange, I mean, stranger than usual, and started talking strange stuff and so on, and in the end it was the *correct* prediction for the Fuming Neptune. Figures. "  


"And you told Dumbledore about this?"  


"Yep. Harry did."  


Then I noticed how hungry I was and stared on my plate full of delicious food. I grabbed the fork and started eating. Fuming Neptune, whatever, eating nothing out of worry wouldn't help us at all. This wasn't a job for us, this was a job for the teachers. I mean, we were just students...and we had one week of holidays because of that. At least one positive thing came out of this mess.  


Suddenly Harry grinned. I raised my eyebrow questioningly, and he whispered to me: "You must admit, the idea of Snape unable to cast magic is quite amusing! All the teachers are going to be helpless, and nobody can get detentions! Your brothers will surely take advantage of that!"  


Now I grinned, too. Of course, Fred and George would use this rare opportunity to pull pranks on everyone. Then my face fell. "But Harry...their tricks all work with magic!"  


"Oh." He seemed to be as disappointed as me.  


"Honestly, you two can be impossible!" Hermione, of course - who else? She looked at me with furious eyes. "If your brothers use this opportunity to pull their pranks, it can only worsen the situation. If someone gets hurt, Madame Pomfrey won't be able to heal him or her with her wand. If muggles discover Hogwarts, all secrets of the magical world will be revealed! We won't get any food, or we have to fetch it in the kitchen, because the house-elves can't use magic! The points we gain for our houses won't be counted!"  


"Yeah, I know," I interrupted her flow of speech. "But we can't do anything against it, can we? So why worry ourselves sick? Its pointless!"  


She just humphed and looked away. Man, this girl could be so difficult at times, I really wondered why I liked her so much...oops. No, I didn't think that, and I certainly didn't say it out aloud...  


"What did you say?" Harry looked curiously at me.  


"Uhm...Nothing," I sweated. "Uhm...has anyone heard when this week will start?" I asked quickly in order to switch the topic. Fortunately, it worked.  


"They just said that it will happen at some point of time during this year, but they didn't say when, didn't say a date." Harry shrugged.  


"Great!" I groaned. "That means that I will wake up one morning and my magic will have vanished? Oh man, I am so NOT looking forward to this!"  


Hey, come on, not knowing when something bad happens is the worst thing. You always think 'Now it has happened' - 'Now is the time', but it's never and it makes you all nervous and cranky...I can't stand waiting, I have no patience. No, not all. And the thought of going into the Great Hall one morning, just to read a sign: "Go to the kitchen and fetch your food" didn't seem very pleasant to me.  


Hermione looked equally sour. "Couldn't Trelawney have given us at least a *few* more details?"  


"Well, we have to be glad that she said something at all...something correct, I mean," Harry smiled a little bit. "According to Dumbledore this is her third correct prediction. Her third!"  


"What, she has managed three correct ones?" Hermione asked astonished. "I didn't expect that..."  


"You're being sarcastic." I told her.  


"Gee, you're quick, aren't you?" She glared at me, her long, bushy hair falling down smoothly on her shoulders. It reminded me of the Yule Ball, when she had..._Ron, what are you thinking?_  


"Stop it!", Harry interrupted, obviously distressed by our constant bickering. "There is no point to discuss this, ok? I suggest that we just visit Hagrid after dinner - after all, we haven't seen him since the schoolyear started, *and* he's a teacher, so he might know some more details."  


I nodded and glanced sideways at Hermione. She sighed a 'Yes' and played with the food on her plate.  
  


* * *

**(Normal POV) **  


After they had finished dinner, the three friends went out of the school and walked to the small cottage Hagrid was living in. It had become common for them to go there after dinner, because then they had an excuse and didn't need to eat some of Hagrid's cookies. Ron knocked on the small door. After a few seconds of silence barking could be heard ('Fluffy' groaned Ron), and then footsteps came nearer. The door opened and the hairy face of their friend looked outside. He smiled when he recognized the trio.  


"H'ya Harry! Long time, no see, huh? Come in, Come in!" He guided them into the small space they knew so well. "S'everything okay?"  


"Well...I think it is," replied the boy-who-lived and took a chair to sit down.  


"Actually we wanted to ask you something," started Ron, like always being impatient and coming straight to the point. "Do you know any details about the Week of the Fuming Neptune?"  


"Oh, that. Big problem, that is," Hagrid's face became worried.  


"Well, we *know* already that it's a problem," Hermione pointed out. "We would just like to know when it happens, and what the teacher will do about it. It's not fair that they leave us so clueless!"  


"They didn't tell us that much, honestly; Dumbledore just said that it will happen this school year and that we should be prepared - there'll be a few conferences about actions and rules this week - but he couldn't tell us any exact point of time. We have to be prepared, he said."  


"Sounds like a boy scout to me," muttered Hermione.  


"What's a boy scout?"  


"Oh, Never mind."  


Harry tried to imagine the scene of the conferences - all the teachers sitting in a room and discussing about how they should survive a week without magic and control the students. He had to grin at the thought of a Snape who was unable to punish his pupils, because he was unable to do magic. It would be like in a muggle school, he thought, with no magic at all.  


"And what's with the pictures?", he suddenly asked, referring to the living (and noisy) paintings hanging in every room, every corridor.  


Hagrid grinned. "Ahh, at least one positive point, they will be silent all week."  


"Cool!", Ron snickered. "A week without the annoying Sir Cardogan! It *can't* be that bad!"  


"Ronald Weasley, this is serious!", Hermione glared at him, but the red-haired boy just shrugged.  


"If ya take everything serious, life would be boring, wouldn't it? I mean, there's no way that we get around this week, so we might as well look at it optimistically. We'll certainly survive it!"  


"You're being impossible!"  


"I'm not impossible, you are!"  


Harry groaned when the bickering started again. With a defeated sigh he looked to Hagrid and whispered: "You should have seen them during the holidays!"  


The half-giant chuckled deeply. "They make a cute couple, don't you think?"  


Harry nodded eagerly. "I just wish that they would realize it and stop this charade. The whole Gryffindor tower knows about the two of them, there are even bets on when they will hook up!"  


The two quickly glanced at the fighting couple. Fortunately they hadn't heard anything, and they continued their talk. "Bets? Really?", Hagrid asked, with a frown on his face. "Now that's weird."  


"Well, not that weird. Everybody knows that since the Yule Ball that they are crazy about each other, and it has become the daily soap-opera of Gryffindor to watch them both. Even Neville realized that something must be going on, and he's really not the brightest crayon in the box!"  


Hagrid scratched his beard. "Hmm...maybe the two could need a little help?"  


Harry just shook his head. "Nope. They tried it, believe me...I think Parvati and Lavender thought of something, but it didn't work. They are both too stubborn. I guess something really extreme has to happen that they finally see the facts. They *were* coming closer during the holidays, but it was always....nah, not the *right* thing, if ya understand what I mean."  


"Well, love is not always an easy thing. Your parents hated each other when they were in fifth year! They were always fighting, like these two, and nobody believed that they would ever come together. I guess we have to wait and to see what the future brings.", the huge man yawned and then stared curiously at Harry. "By the way, how's your love life? Met anyone interesting?"  


Harry's face reddened. "No...no, not at all." _The only girl I met was an annoying, rude skatergirl with baggy jeans and a big mouth. I guess that doesn't count as 'interesting acquaintances during holidays'! I mean, she was splashing me with water, and she was insulting me!_  


"Oh." Hagrid's face fell. "But I'm sure that you will find the right girl!"  


"Eh...thanks." Hearing love consultations from a half-giant who calls dragons 'my little baby' wasn't very encouraging.  


"HEY!", he then shouted, drawing the attention of Hermione and Ron to himself. "I'm heading back to the castle - you coming?"

The two just nodded and stood up abruptly, still glaring at each other. Harry rolled his eyes. Sometimes...sometimes he just felt like hitting them both and throwing them into the lake, never mind what loyal friends they were.  


* * *

Later this evening the three found themselves in the Gryffindor Common room, studiously doing their school work (or, in Ron's case, more under duress). The red-head and Harry were sitting in front of their divination homework. Like always they had to do predictions for themselves, regarding the constellation of the planets and the stars. Trelawney's latest idea was to use tea-leafs as well, that's why two big mugs of tea were standing beside the two boys on the table.  
Ron glared into his cup, admiring the green, slimy leafs on the bottom. "Well....I see dark for my future," he gloomily told his friend.  


"Why?"  


"Don't you see it? This leafs tell me...they tell me clearly that I will slip on a wet ground in autumn. Maybe I will hurt my back," he grinned. "I'll write that down. She likes dramatic things."  


"Too bad that I can't predict my death - she has predicted it often enough," Harry sadly sighed an scribbled a few more sentences of his prediction on the paper. _And during the week of the Fuming Neptune I will have some serious problem, because..._  


Well, what to write now? It was logical that he would have problems in this week, because basically *every* magical person would have them, but he couldn't write that. Trelawney didn't like logic.  


_...because my tea-leafs resemble the form of the half-moon in the night-sky, which is a well-known constellation for serious trouble and physical pain. _  


"Hey, then I can predict *my* death!", Ron shouted and flipped through the sites of his book. "Wait, I have seen something like that in these pages..."  


"Naah...I wouldn't make it a total death, a half-death with a miraculous survival would be enough. After all, you still have to complete the school year."  


"Hmm...okay...Neptune says that I'll have some serious injuries in upcoming months."  


"I wonder why Trelawney isn't suspicious of our homework - I mean, according to it, I should have broken my leg, won a big bet and nearly died last year."  


Ron shrugged. "Well, you faced you-know-who, isn't that something?" He noticed the gloomy look on the face of his friend, which appeared every time when somebody mentioned the events of last year. Cedric's death was still a great trouble of Harry's mind. "I'm sorry," Ron said sheepishly and quickly looked on his homework again.  


"It's okay," came the soft reply.  


They sat in awkward silence for a few minutes until Hermione walked towards them and plopped herself down on a chair. In her hands she was holding a huge book - _Arithmancy for the interested student_. "Still doing your homework? I've already finished mine."  


"Oh yeah, thanks for telling us," Ron murmured gloomily and stared down on his paper. He certainly didn't want to hear anything of that right now.  


Hermione smirked, which Ron chose to ignore. Right then Fred and George entered the room, like always drawing attention to them. They walked towards the trio, big grins plastered on their faces. "Hey Ronnie", they greeted their brother.  


"Hmm." was the reply.  


"He's doing his homework," Hermione informed the twins.  


Fred looked over the shoulder of his younger sibling and stared on the paper. "Oh man, it will be a bad week for you, won't it? Huh...wow....that will hurt...where did you get that from, Ronnie-boy?"  


"Made it up."  


"Oh, I see."  


The twins took two chairs and sat down at the table. Harry looked up from his parchment. Every time when they looked like that, the two had something on their mind. And it usually wasn't good.  


"What are you two up to?" He asked cautiously.  


"Oh, he knows us, doesn't he?" George grinned and tried to look innocently.  


"What a pity, he knows us *too* well!" Fred admitted, mirroring the same look. It looked utterly stupid.  


"Well?" Harry raised an eyebrow while Ron gnawed on his writing feather. Hermione tilted her head, curiously.  


"Aww....we thought of something....ya know, when Dumbledore told us about the Week of the Fuming Neptune, we immediately realised that it was our chance," George's eyes glinted with excitement. "The chance for the ultimate prank."  


"The best prank ever."  


"It will go into the history of Hogwarts! There will be a chapter only for us! Everybody will talk about it!!" Fred raised his arms and beamed at them.  


"Yeah, and nobody can take points from our house", George added grinning.  


"And why are you telling it to us?" Hermione wanted to know. She sensed serious trouble; usually the twins never told anyone about their jokes and pranks.  


"Well....", Fred's face fell, "We realised that we have a small problem...and maybe you could help us..."  


Ron looked up from his paper. The twins needed help? Well, that sounded interesting. He put down his quill and started listening. Fred and George looked at each other and sighed. "Well, the problem is that we can't use magic.", they admitted sheepishly.  


"Well, that's exactly the problem with the week of the Fuming Neptune," Hermione snorted. "Which some of us don't want to realise!", she glared at Ron, who feigned innocence.   


"Without magic we can't pull a normal prank", George nodded, "That's why we need your help, Hermione!"  


"My help?", the girl shrieked. "Why *my* help?"  


"Because you're a muggle. And you surely know where to get muggle prank stuff, ya know...I have read about it, they have quite interesting things, although not as good as our inventions, but still worth to try out."  


Hermione was shocked. "You seriously want *me* to organize the things you need for driving the whole school nuts?"  


The twins grinned and nodded.  


Hermione slammed her books on the table, stood up and formed one single word with her mouth: "No." Then she left and hurried out of the room, leaving two very dumbfounded Weasley's sitting. Harry had to suppress a snicker and Ron tried to hide his grin behind his parchment.  


"Why was she that angry?" Fred wanted to know, confused.  


"Fred. Think," Harry leaned forwards. "Hermione is one of the best students. She lives for learning. She wants to be perfect in every subject. And then you ask her to help you with pranks which could probably expel her from school?"  


"Well, she just had to organize it..."  


"She won't do it. Just forget it." Harry shook his head. "And besides I think that there are far more dangerous things during the week of the Fuming Neptune than some stupid pranks. I guess we'll have some trouble."  


The twins shrugged in sync. "We'll find another way." And they left the table. Harry watched them leave and sighed. He could already sense trouble. Oh, and how he could sense them. With his luck to delve into dangerous adventures, it was nearly certain that something would happen during those seven days. The question was just what.   


He looked on his essay.  


_....And during the week of the Fuming Neptune I will have some serious problem, because my tea-leafs resemble the form of the half-moon in the night-sky, which is a well-known constellation for serious trouble and physical pain...._  


Harry groaned. 

* * *

  
  
"I don't want to!", she cried, storming through the room and glaring at her mother.  


"But we have no other chance, dear," the older woman replied, looking sadly at her daughter. Her short black hair was falling into her eyes, which were now piercing at her mother. She sighed. "Nat, we have to go on this business trip and we can't take you with us..."  


"No", Nat held up her hand. "I. Won't. Go. To. Aunt. Kate." She threw her hands in the air. "It's boring with her! She lives in a small village in the middle of nowhere! 

There are maybe fifteen houses! There's not one single person my age! What am I supposed to do? There's not even a proper street where I can practice!" She pointed towards her skateboard.  


"It's only for two weeks."  


"Yeah, the two weeks that we have holidays! I wanted to do things with my friends! I wanted to go out, I wanted to...to...skate..." Nat was furious. No. She was far beyond that. 

Her mother just shrugged and ignored her ranting. "Well, there's no other possibility. You will go there. Maybe that will help your studying a bit - your grades haven't improved recently!" With these words the tall woman left the room.  


Nat stood there and sneered. Then she tugged her hands in the pockets of her large, darkblue skater trousers. The idea of spending two weeks in a small house on the countryside didn't appeal her very well. The girl crossed her arms and stared with lightblue eyes out of the window.  


"I won't take one single school book with me!", she promised herself and plopped down on the bed. On the ceiling she could see the wallpapers of her favourite bands, snowboarders and skateboarders. Nat let out a deep sigh. The next 2 weeks with Aunt Kate would be two very long and very boring weeks. Nothing to look forward to.   


No.   


Nothing at all.  
  


  


**To be continued...**

* * *

And, do you still remember Nat? *g* She will appear more often in the future...but we won't tell more! Here are the answers to your reviews:

**Caylen Rider** - Oh yes, Hermione is cute...and Ron as well! Hehe. But slowly it's getting annoying how they always deny their feelings...hmm...but we have planned something. *g*  
_Latrisha_: "We have planned something?"  
_Kaeera_: *hisses* "Yes, we have!"  
_Latrisha_: "Oh."  
_Kaeera_: "Yes."  
_Latrisha_: "What?"  
_Kaeera_: "......help me...."   


**sanguinans** - So you liked the Voldemort-scene? Glad you did, because we absolutely fell in love with the part where the little flag appears...Everytime when we talk about it, we burst out in laughter and are lying on the ground. It's really....amusing...

**Angie** - You're happy to have a good German teacher...We have an English teacher at our school who's absolutely terrible...the whole school is afraid of her. It's horrible to sit in her classes, it's like military...everybody is silent...well...but you learn everything in her classes. *sighs* It's just no fun.

**Adnap Nottap** - We guess that answers your question if Nat is coming back, huh? You seemed to be the only one who remembered^^ She's quite an interesting character, although not much of her appeared until now.

**meskup** - You still have to wait, the week of the Fuming Neptune will be in some of the later chapters...but we have quite a few ideas! Including the twins...

**Katie Bell** - Well, it didn't quite work with the two weeks, but we are both so lazy and uncreative that it's no surprise. Hope you aren't angry that you had to wait so long!  



	12. Dreams and Sleep Talking

**Discaimer:** Nothing besides our dear Nat belongs to us. If that was the case, why would we waste our time writing fanfictions instead of finally finishing Volume 5 ?! 

  
**A/N:***cleans her face from the tomatoes that have been thrown at her* OK, ok, we are slow. I am slow. True, even my guinea pig would have been able to update sooner. But there was this big, fat silver cow, flying in front of my window, wasn't it, Kaeera?  


**Kaeera**: "Cow? What cow?"  


**Latrisha**: " THAT cow, you know." *stamps powerfully on Kaeera's shoe*  


**Kaeera**: "Ouch! Oh, that cow! I thought you meant the violet one. Sorry, my mistake."  


**Latrisha**: "Kaeera. You are a damned bad liar" *rolls her eyes*   


I seriously excuse myself for the delay and I hope this sorry excuse will satisfy you guys. Honestly, we do our best but, and I do feel guilty that it took me so long. *sighs* _~Latrisha_

* * *

  
**Confusing Experiences and Hidden Feelings**

  
_by Kaeera & Latrisha _  


**Chapter 12: Dreams and Sleep talking **

  
He placed his arm softly around her hips, pulling her even closer to his body, which was trembling in excitement and nervousness. His free hand lifted to hold her chin, to make her look up to him. He loved to be more than a head taller than her. Her dark brown eyes were fascinated shining in excitement when his face moved closer to hers. 

She forgot the whole world around her and was only enjoying every second with him being that close, watching every part of her in amazement. His breath on her soft skin made her feel this indescribable tingling in her stomach even more, it felt like thousands of butterflies flying around in it. 

She was only a few seconds away from her first kiss, only a few seconds more to waitshe closed her eyes   


"Hermione." His voice sounded so soft and warm that it let a shiver go tickling down her neck. He felt so incredibly warm and comfortable. Impatiently she waited for him to kiss her.   


"Hermione!" the same voice shouted, but somehow sounding different than before. Actually it almost sounded annoyed. But where was her kiss?   


"HERMIONE! Are you daydreaming?" Now the voice seemed to be completely out of composure. But it wasn't supposed to be like that. Neither of them should speak a word, no, romantic silence should lay over them, covering them like a blanket.  


Disappointed she opened her eyes again. "Why didn't you kiss me?" she asked looking at him irritated. 

That was just before Hermione noticed that she was sitting in the middle of the Great Hall, talking to a completely overwhelmed Ronald Weasley, who was currently trying to eat a marmalade toast and to drink out of his cup at the same time. After her question, it was definitely possible for him to do that, because his jaw virtually fell down on the floor.   


He and also the others stared at her as if she had gone green and slimy over night. "Er-"   


Fred and George, who simply overheard everything, interrupted their secret chatting about new inventions and looked at Hermione, both of them obviously wondering if she was mad.   


Also Pavarti Patil, who only moments before was deep in a highly interesting conversation about make-up with Lavender, dropped the topic just to stare unbelievingly at Hermione.   


Only Harry kept cool. He made a mental note to shout out a loud "YESSS!" later, when he was out of sight. He turned his head away to hide that he was beaming.  


Finally, the silence was broken: "What? - er- nothing. I didn't say anything!"   


Hermione tried to get herself out when she had finished realizing what she had said. Adding "Have to look something up in the library before class starts.", she stormed out of the hall, muttering words under her breath she'd never speak out loudly. Leaving a few confused students and her own, barely touched breakfast behind, she disappeared behind the door. 

****************

That evening Ron sat alone on his four-poster, drawing little circles on the pillow with his finger. He had won chess against Harry several times, but it wasn't really fun anymore. And when Hermione entered the Common Room and spied the two of them, she immediately went up into her dorm. She hadn't spoken a word to him since that little 'incident' that happened in the morning. Actually she had taken every chance to get away from them, she even left out the meals.  


Did she really want him to kiss her? No. But why would she ask then?   


Did she think of someone else? Victor Krum? Yes, it had to be that damned seeker, this duck-like idiot. No, Ron never really liked him. He wasn't a good seeker, no, he was the worst! How could someone blame himself like that in playing Quidditch in front of public?  


It was more than embarrassing. Even **Ron** would catch the snitch sooner. It was a shame. And this little figure of Victor that Ron bought during the World Cup, it has been worthless for him, only a toy that Ron wanted to break, to stamp on it until it was flat like pizza.  


Ron sighed. How childish to think stuff like that. He'd been Krum's biggest fan. And now he hated him, like he hated Snape, perhaps even worse. And everything because of Hermione. Was that possible?  


No, Ron told himself.  


That was love.   


****************

  
Harry entered the boys' dorm at half past nine. It was early for him to go to bed at this time, but since Hermione and Ron were in bed, too, it was getting awkwardly boring downstairs. Wondering why everybody behaved so strange the whole day, he opened the door. It was dark, but there was light enough for Harry to recognize Ron, who was lying on his bed, completely dressed, sleeping.   


Harry let out a deep sigh. He remembered what Hermione had said that morning, and now he too noticed that she had avoided them all the day.   


"What the hell is going on here?!" Harry asked himself, not expecting Ron to hear him. But it seemed that he did hear him, because:   


"Hermione", he said slowly.   


"Yes?" Harry asked, surprised that Ron was still awake.   


"I love you so much."   


That was the moment when Harry's jaw landed with a loud BANG on the floor.  


He headed out of the room and closed the door behind him. Than he leaned against it and thought. No, he was not supposed to hear that. Why did Ron have to say **that** right **now**? Argh. Okay, Harry knew it all the time, that Ron loved her, but now, well, it was different. Now you could say that Harry had the proof, now it was absolutely sure.   


But soon Harry was interrupted by Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan, who had just left Pavarti's and Lavender's dorm. With red cheeks they tried to get up the stairs without falling down again, chuckling and giggling like crazy.   


"Bit too much butterbeer, huh?" Harry asked grinning. (A/N: Yes, there's no alcohol in butterbeer, but, hey, maybe they mixed something in?)   


"And a bit too much Lavender!" Dean shouted out, then started to laugh and gave Seamus a friendly pat against his shoulder, which nearly caused him to fall down the stairs. Harry did his best to prevent him from falling, then lead the two drunks into the dorm, made sure that Ron had stopped talking and went out again.   


What should he do now? He was certainly not in the mood to go to bed and listen to Ron's conversations with an imagined Hermione or listen to the boys' laughing and yowling and talking about Lavender. No, he didn't want to hear something else that would embarrass him.   


So the only thing that remained was sitting down next to Fred and George, who were talking wildly about their new plan: making history in sabotaging the Week of Fuming Neptune. And as if destiny wanted it, Harry did grow up in the muggle world as well as Hermione did, and he knew a few **very** interesting facts that the twins wouldn't have figured out by themselves 

  
**************

  
The next day began like almost every next day began: Harry had to fight himself out of the seductive warmth of his four-poster to make himself ready for another boring school day.  


In fact it was long time ago when they had their last adventure, and Harry was waiting almost impatiently for the next one. He loved it. It was his desitny to fight against the dark arts, everybody knew it since the day he survived Voldemort's attack. And he had often enough proved that he could survive Lord Voldemort in his last years at Hogwarts.   


What is a shabby old week of "Fuming Neptune", with that laughable name, well, what is that against Lord Voldemort? Harry had survived much more difficult situations, and next Christmas would only be one more he could tell his children about.   


But nobody knew how much the boy-who-lived was wrong 

  
**************  
  


"WHAT?!" the furious girl with her short cut black curls barked at a one head taller boy.   


She had nearly tossed him over some bags. The train already began to move, and she still couldn't make out a free seat.   


"Oh yeah, SIX HOURS standing around in an old train. But who cares, I'm visiting AUNT KATE, at CHRISTMAS TIME, isn't that something to look forward to?!?", she muttered sarcastically under her breath, watching the boy she'd nearly made kiss the ground. He most likely tried to find a place to stand that was far, far away from Nat. And the other passengers tried that too. She looked at the skateboard that was under her arm and had to hide a smile.   


Two weeks, that was a long time.   


Her thoughts drifted away to a scene that happened on the last day of August. She often thought of the boy she had met there. Oh no, what an idiot, standing right next to this puddle. But it had been so much fun to fight with him. Actually she was a little sad that he hadn't been there the next day. And this funny scar on his forehead. Yes, he must have been cool.   


***************

  


It was getting colder, yes, the weather was really disgusting, but the Quidditch practice went on and there was no chance to escape it. Not that Harry had planned to miss it anyways. He loved Quidditch, and even if it was raining stones and frogs, he wouldn't stop training. 

  
And everytime he walked his way through the rain back to Gryffindor tower, he had to think of a special girl. Nat, that was her name, if he remembered it right. Yes, it was a cool name. What would he give to repeat this puddle fight, to show her that he could have beaten her if that damned bus hadn't arrived.  


But there was hardly any chance to see her again, so he'd rather concentrate on his two best friends.   


"Harry!" Ron yelled and jumped a few inches that Harry was able to see him through the crowd of pupils. "HARRY!"  


Harry fought his way through some giggling first-years who were currently staring at his scar and blushing badly.   


"Harry, I just have four days left, and I have no idea what to buy Hermione for Christmas." Ron said panicky, looking in every direction to make sure Hermione was not in sight.   


"Calm down, OK? There are four days to think of something, and Ron, it has to be something that comes from heart, if you understand. Not just a book Percy gave you three years ago. That wouldn't be very suitable." 

  
**RONS POV **

  
Something that comes from heart. Yes, I knew that before. But WHAT?! Everything I thought of before was somehow too obvious.   
But, should it BE obvious? Nobody else would understand me other than Harry.

  
"Harry?" I asked, totally losing the control of my mouth. It was insane, I couldn't ask him, but my mouth did never-the-less.   


"Do you think Hermione loves me?"  


I suppose this question hung around in the room for about five minutes, five minutes time for Harry to look at me confused. But then his eyes widened and is lips formed a smile. "Glad that you finally noticed it." Than he turned around and left.   


My face glowed when I went up the stairs. God, was I happy to hear this comment instead of: "Are you crazy?". I mean, that was what I had expected him to say.   


*****************

  
The next day was a Saturday, the last opportunity for everyone who forgot to buy some presents. Or for the ones who always buy their presents at the last minute.   


Well, I jogged down to Hogsmeade all alone. I told everybody that I didn't feel like visiting the town, but in fact I wanted to buy Hermione's present. And I wanted to do that alone.   


On my way I met Fred and George, but not at the same place. Fred was waiting for a girl who prepared some crystal flowers. Before he saw me I was able to read the name on the little card that was fixed at a flower. It said Katie.   


They were wonderful, so beautiful that I bought some for Hermione too. I took some dark blue and some white ones, both of them glittering so much that it looked like a million stars.   


They were beautiful and they would say everything without me open my mouth at all. Yes, and they were expensive, but that was worth it. I had started saving my money half a year ago, but I didn't think of anything so expensive I would buy for Hermione. But it was just when I paid it that I was pleased, content and happy. 

Percy would have to be happy with a pair of socks, then.   


Now I was ready for Christmas. 

*****************  


**NATS POV **

  
"Nat?! Would you come down please?"   


I rolled over my bed and looked at the clock, annoyed. But was that possible? It was already half past six, and tomorrow would finally be Christmas Eve. Yes, respect, God showed heart and let the time pass quickly.  


"I'm coming!" I shouted down and smelled the smell of aunt Kate's delicious dinner. OK, she was boring and everything, but MAN this woman could cook. I spent half my time eating.  


I searched for my shoes which I had kicked off about two hour ago. Then I hurried down, not wanting her to start without me.  


So I sat down at the table and praised her cooking abilities for the hundredth time.   


"And what about going for a nice walk through the forests on Christmas day?", she asked in the middle of a conversation that I only listened to with one ear. The only comments I made were Yes, NO, Really? and hmm. And so I did again, answered with a disinterested   


"Hmm." and realized one minute later what I had done.  


Great. Walking through the rain, or better through the mud as Weather God wasn't even able to send us some snow over Christmas. I was fuming.   
I'd never be able to explain how I even could give her a half-hearted smile at this hilarious moment. 

  
**To be continued**  


**

* * *

live the rainbow** - Hey, there *is* a German word for squishy....it's '_lätschig_' or '_lommelig_'. *laughs* But these words are pretty nice swabian dialect, so you shouldn't use them when you travel around in the nort. They are nice sounding words, aren't they? 

**Caylen Rider** - Yes, the bets are definitely funny...we can imagine the whole Gryffindor tower watching these two....*gg* And Nat is a great character...we want to see more of her, too^^

**Angie D** - Oups, thanks for pointing out this mistake! How stupid of us, using Fluffy instead of Fang...well, the German translation of Fang is different, maybe because of that....or I don't know. I can't keep track with names.   
**Latrisha**: "That's because your brain consists of holes..."   
**Kaeera**: *glares* "Better than the vacuum you own!" 

**AnnaMay** - It's never childish to read HP fanfiction! Only due to fanfiction our English grades have improved^^

**Katie Bell** - Nope, won't tell you what our Weasley-twin team is up to^^ It'll be a surprise!

**muh** - O.o;; And we thought that nobody would notice that we are from Germany...*laughter* Well, we're both from the south, live in a little village in Baden-Württemberg, at the border to Bavaria. The next big cities are Stuttgart and Munich, if that says something to you! Grüß deine Großmutter recht herzlich von uns, ja?

**sanguinans** - Well, I guess you once again believed that we have died on you....sorry *sheepish grin* We never manage a fast update, it seems to be our fate....*sigh*

And thanks for the constant reviews and support! They're really appreciated! THANK YOU! *hugs*


	13. Christmas

**Disclaimer:** We still don't own it. Sorry to tell that^^

Uh...okay...don't stare at us like that, we *know* that it's a bit late for a christmas chapter....*sigh* You see, both our lives have been busy like heel, and Kaeera, who wrote this chapter, started to write LotR fanfiction as well and was therefore otherwise occupied...

**Latrisha**:"It was your fault! Just because you had to write your LotR fic, this chapter comes so late..."  
**Kaeera**: "I couldn't help it! Blame it on my muse! I just felt the sudden urge to torture Aragorn..."  
**Latrisha**: *glares* "But look how long it took you! Over a month!"  
**Kaeera**: *winces* "I know....and it's pretty lame, too....*hides in a corner*"

IMPORTANT: This chapter was not beta-read, because we didn't receive a reply from our beta when we sent the chapter. So be prepared for lots of mistakes. Sorry...always keep in mind that we are two poor German students...

* * *

  


**Confusing Experiences and Hidden Feelings**

_by Kaeera & Latrisha_  


**Chapter 13: Christmas **

If there was one special time at Hogwarts, it was definitely Christmas. The whole castle shone with different lights and the Great Hall with the wonderful Christmas tree resembled more a party hall than anything one would find at a school.

Like every year, Harry stayed at Hogwarts this year, and Ron and Hermione accompanied him. There were few pupils left at the house, among them, unfortunately, Draco Malfoy who's parents were away for two months. But even that could not dampen Harry's spirit as he went to bed the day before Christmas.

Ron was even more excited, circling through the room like a tiger in the cage. He had shown his friend the present he had bought for Hermione, and Harry was quite surprised that the dork had managed to find something *that* beautiful. It was really totally unlike Ron.

He had helped him wrapping the gift into shiny, white paper and they had given it to the house elves, who would lie it on Hermione's bed the next morning.

Nonetheless Ron was feeling unsure. "Do you think that she will like it?" he asked for the twentieth time this evening.

Harry rolled his eyes and let out a desperate sigh. "Ron, I'm sure that she'll love it, so will you stop walking through the room now? There's nothing you can change now, so just settle down and sleep!"

The red-haired boy glared at his friend. Didn't Harry understand how anxious he felt? What if she found it ridiculous? What if she laughed about it?....No, he couldn't think about that! It was driving him crazy!

He fell down on his bed and groaned. Why had life to be such difficult? Why couldn't everything stay like it used to be?

And why the hell did he fall in love with Hermione???

  
In the girls' dorm, someone else was having similar thoughts. Hermione stared thoughtfully at her gift for Ron, turning it in her hands for the thousandth time. She felt a bit silly that she had bought this - he would certainly laugh about her when he unwrapped it - but back in the shop it had seemed to be a good idea.

It seemed so easy for the other girls. Lavender constantly giggled over her present, but Hermione didn't doubt that she would not feel embarrassed to give it to her crush. In the opposite of her. The girl sighed. That was something one couldn't learn out of books. Unfortunately.

Sighing, she placed the wrapped gift on her table. Well, she had to see what the morning would bring - worrying about it didn't help much.

_Why did I have to fall in love with Ron, out of all people? Hermione was rather frustrated. And why is it so hard to act logical when ones in love? It doesn't make sense! I always despised it when the other girls acted that silly, and now I'm doping it myself! How ridiculous!_

  
*************

**HARRY'S POV**

**Christmas Morning**

Dim sunlight pierced through the windows of our room, and I blinked, still feeling sleepy. I didn't want to get up, but then again, I never wanted that in the morning. So I turned around, hoping that I could maybe spend a few more minutes in the warmth of my bed. A little voice was screaming in my head, telling me that I had forgotten something *very* important, but I couldn't make out what it was. Did we write a test today? Did I forget an important assignment? Or would there be another Quidditch game?

"HARRY! WAKE UP!" someone shouted in my ear with the effect that I nearly jumped out of my bed. Rather disgruntled, I buried myself under the covers and murmured something which one might have interpreted as 'no'.

"No sleeping in today, my friend," the voice continued and busy hands took the warm blanket away. The sudden chill let me open my eyes and I glared at the intruder of my peaceful slumber. Ron was standing there, in his pyjama, red hair stocking into all directions with a huge grin on his face. !It's christmas!" he announced, beaming.

"Wha....oh!" It took my brain a few moments to start working, but then the magic of the word 'Christmas' raised my spirit. Christmas, that meant presents, that meant holidays and a great meal in the Great Hall of Hogwarts.

I sat up abruptly and looked at the end of my bed where a small pile of presents was laying. Over the years I had gotten used to it, but it still surprised me every time that I actually received presents...never mind how strange they were. Mrs Weasley had obviously made another pullover for me (I briefly wondered if Ron's was maroon, like the last years) and sent some sweets. The other presents were wrapped in gift paper and I couldn't make out what was inside.

Glancing over at my friend, who was busily opening his own presents, I scrambled to the small pile and started unwrapping. A huge package of sweets from Hagrid (everything was better than these cookies!), a book from Hermione, about the different techniques of Quidditch and a huge poster of the National Quidditch Team from Ron. I was rather pleased with these things and couldn't stop smiling. 

"Did my mom send you a pullover, too?" Ron asked and came over, looking at my presents. The pullover was black, with a green owl on it. Probably Hedwig, I wasn't quite sure,

The redhead flopped down beside me. "She always makes more effort with your pullovers than with ours," he complained, but I knew that he didn't mean it like that.

"Did you give Hermione her present yet?" I asked instead, making him blush.

"Uh...no," he stammered. I had convinced him the last evening that it was much better to give it to her personally than to let it bring with the house elves. It had taken some time, but he had finally agreed. Now I was eager to see how our friend would react, hoping for Ron that she liked it.

"Did you open her present already?" I wanted to know.

Ron shook his head. "There wasn't one," he admitted, sounding a little bit disappointed.

"Well, she probably wants to give it to you personally," was my suggestion, which seemed to make him a little bit happier. "Come on, give it to her now, you won't have the courage later!" I shoved him out of the door. "I promise that I won't disturb you!"

"Bu..." he protested weakly, but I just shook my head. "No buts. You will give it to her now, before breakfast, and then you two will come to the Great Hall where I will wait for you!" I patted him on the shoulder. "She will love it, Ron. Don't be that shy!"

This comment made him blush and he grabbed the present. "Alright," he mumbled and went off into the direction of the girl's dorm. I sighed inwardly and shook my head. I could just hope that I wouldn't be that strange when I fell in love!

**HERMIONE'S POV**

When I awoke this morning, I was surprised how late it already was. Normally I tend to get up early (you don't have anything of the day when you sleep long), but yesterday night it had been hard to fall asleep, and therefore I had overslept a bit.

Groggily, I rubbed my eyes and yawned. Giggling from the other side of the room told me that Lavender and the others were already up, opening their presents. I scrambled on my knees and walked over to the pile with my presents. The huge one was from my parents, no doubt, they had certainly sent me the books I had wanted. There were a few others, but I could find no one with the scrubby handwriting of Ron on it and I couldn't help but to feel disappointed. Had he forgotten me? It seemed so typical and insensible for him, like last year when he had given me Percy's old books...

I suppressed a sigh. From his point of view, this was probably perfectly right, after all, Hermione Granger didn't act like a girl, was merely just a bookworm with lots of brains and not good looking.

I got up, not really feeling in the mood of unwrapping my other gifts and quickly changed my clothes. Should I give him my present now? Wouldn't it be awkward if he hadn't given me something? And he'd probably laugh right into my face...

All my enthusiasm disappeared and I plopped down on my bed. Suddenly I didn't feel like going out and celebrating Christmas.

"Hermione!" Lavender called over.

"What?" I replied rather grumpy. I didn't feel like joining their merry little circle - I was always an outsider.

"There's someone there to see you," she said in a sweet voice and waved to me. I sighed and stood up; it was probably Harry and Ron, coming to fetch me for breakfast. I took the present for Ron - after all, I had bought it, and I wasn't a person who threw money out of the window - and walked towards the door. 

Nodding a quick thanks towards my classmate, I left the dorm and stepped on the corridor, only to notice that it was Ron - without Harry.

"Uhm...Morning!" I stuttered, hiding the present behind my back. I could feel how a faint blush coloured my cheeks.

"Good Morning," he replied rather awkardly and looked on the ground. "And a Merry Christmas...uh..I...I have brought you your christmas present!" He stretched out his arms and gave me a wrapped box. Surprised, I nearly dropped my own present. He hadn't forgotten me! Feeling suddenly warm, I smiled. "That's good, because I have a present for you as well!" And I gave him my gift.

Carefully I started to unwrap the present he had given me, merely because I didn't know what to do otherwise. What I saw in the paper stole my breath. Inside I could see flowers, but not normal ones, no, they were made of crystal! Coloured in white and blue, the sparkled and glittered like the nightsky. I took a deep breath and stared at it in wonder. That was the most beautiful present I had ever received - and it came from Ron?

Unbelievingly I stared at him, my mouth hanging slightly open. He had opened my present and was positively beaming - a sign that he liked the Chudley Canons merchandise stuff I had bought him. Then he looked at me and his face fell.

"Don't you like it?" he asked somewhat fearfully, and it was then when I noticed how my shocked appearance must look for him. 

"Oh no, Ron, it's not that..." I said hastily, "I love it...it's so wonderful! I was just surprised that...well...it's awesome!" I held up the flowers and stared at them. "Thank you very, very much!" I then spoke, meaning every word, and smiled at him.

Ron blushed and looked on the ground. "Well...they just seemed perfect for you," he coughed, "Thanks a lot for your present, too...I always wanted to have such a shirt, but I could never buy one!" He stood awkwardly for a moment and then turned around rather quickly. "Harry is waiting for us in the Great Hall, are you coming?" he said over his shoulder.

I once again smiled at the flowers. "Yes," I hurried after him, suddenly feeling that this Christmas might be a good one. Who had though that Ronald Weasley, the insensible klutz, could be such a charmer?

  
**NORMAL POV**

Harry sat down at a table in the Great Hall, waiting for his friends to arrive. A few of the teachers were already sitting across the hall, and he waved to Hagrid who was beaming back at him. The boy silently mused what his two best friends were doing right now; Ron hopefully wouldn't ruin this chance, too.

"Morning, Harry!" a cheery voice greeted and someone flopped down on the chair beside him. He looked up and saw the familiar red hair.   


"Hello Fred," he grinned.  


"I wish you a happy Easter," the twin said seriously and clapped Harry on the shoulder. "May the bunny celebrate you with many chocolate eggs!" (A/N: I have no idea if the Easter custom exists in the Wizard World, but hey, this is fanfiction^^)  


"Uhm...yes?" Harry replied rather unenthusiastically. "Where did you leave your double?"  


"Moooorning!" George shouted and took a chair. Fred just grinned and pointed at his brother. "There."  


"Happy Not-Birthday!" George congratulated with an equal mock serious expression on his face, and this time Harry couldn't contain his laughter. "What is up with youtwo?"  


"With us?" They both feigned surprise. "How can you assume that something is wrong? We were just expression our utmost well wishes for the boy-who-lives, the famous Harry Potter with The Scar, autographs here, please, no, we are sorry, no photographs, but you can buy a few postcards over there..."  


"Right," Harry sighed, looking for a way to escape. There was no way of conversing normally with the twins when they were in one of their weird moods. Unfortunately, Ron and Hermion hadn't arrived yet and the only other students in the hall were Draco and his supporters.  


"By the way, we bought the stuff of which you told us," George grinned and elbowed his brother. "T'was not easy to get, but we managed it. It's not as effective as magic stuff, though, but it will work!"  


"So?" Harry raised an eyebrow. "Care to tell me your plans for the Week of the Fuming Neptune so that I can run early enough and hide?"   


"Ahh, no, that would spoil the fun, wouldn't it?" Fred plastered a wide grin on his face. "You will have to wait like the others."  


"By the way, where's our dear little brother? We haven't wished him Merry Christmas yet..." his twin looked around, searching for Ron.  


"I'm sure he will survive it if you don't," Harry commented dryly.   


"Never misjudge the love between brothers," George raised an accusing finger. "What's he doing?"  


"Giving Hermione her Christmas present."  


"No way!" They both looked equally shocked. "Did he finally have the guts to realise his feelings or what?"  


"They can't come together yet, then we will loose our bet," Fred frowned.  


"You and your stupid bet," Harry shook his head, "I wonder who else is involved in this stupid thing."  


"Oh, you would be surprise - half of the Gryffindor tower has betted quite interesting amounts of money on the point of time when the two finally admit their feelings,and even some teachers have shared this recent interest."  


"Teachers?" the black-haired boy groaned. "Please don't tell me more...this resembles more a TV show than anything else..."  


"Yeah, it is quite sad that our little brother is such a looser in the case of love," Fred shook his head, "We tried to be of the best example, explained how to be charming, but he doesn't seem to get the grip of it...how frustrating."  


Harry just stared to them, imagining a chit-chat talk between Ron and his twin brothers about the best methods to conquer females. Well, that certainly explains a few things, he thought wryly. 

However, he was rescued from further attempts of exploring by the twins as Hermione and Ron finally entered the Great Hall. Harry immediately searched their faces for any signs of troubles or anger, but couldn't find any. Instead, Hermione seemed to be glowing, occasionally casting a shy glance at Ron, who was unnaturally red in his face. Harry smiled. Seemed as if everything had went according to plan. If it continued like that, he would hang a sign on his door: Official love therapist of Hogwarts. That idea was amusing, and he snickered slightly at the thought. 

"Dear brother!" Fred beside him bellowed and stood up, widening his arms as if to hug Ron. The redhead made a disgusted face and slipped past his brother.   


"Have you eaten too much chocolate frogs again?" he asked somewhat annoyed and sat down on the opposite of Harry. Flashing his best friend a quick smile, he silently mouthed a 'Thank You.'  


Harry just grinned and mouthed, equally silent, back: 'You're welcome'.  


"I'm insulted," Fred told them as he sat down again. His grin told otherwise, though.   


Hermione sat down near Ron and smiled at the twins. "Merry Christmas, you two!"   


"Ah," George beamed, "She has better manners than you, Ron - she greeted us! It's Christmas, festival of the family."  


"Whatever," Ron muttered, rolling his eyes, "Right now it is breakfast and I'm hungry, so let me eat!"  


"How boring," his brother huffed. Ron didn't care, just filled his plate with the food which appeared suddenly on the table.  


"We can just hope that the week of the Fuming Neptune will be in the holidays," Hermione said between two bites, "For then we won't miss much lessons."  


Fred and George stared at her. "No! If it's in the holidays, there won't be any students (and teachers) to play pranks on!"  


Harry groaned. "Can you stop talking about this at least on Christmas morning? Everybody only talks of this week, and I'm growing sick of it! As if living without magic would be such a great deal, and anyhow, we can't do anything to prevent it!" He stuffed a sausage into his mouth and frowned at the others.  


"Well, okay," Fred said in a soothing voice, "We will talk about something else...let's see...hey Ron," he turned towards his brother, "Have ya kissed Hermione yet?"  


Ron's eyes nearly bulged out and his face became flaming red. With his mouth full of bread, he coughed and glared at the twin. "I-I-I don't know what you're talking about," he stuttered, glaring daggers. If looks could kill...well, then it wouldn't have been a nice view in the Great Hall.  


Fred choked with laugher. "Only kidding, Ronnie, only kidding..."  


Harry just shook his head, frustrated. Somehow he had the impression that this would never stop...would the twins every grow up? Surely they had to change one day, the latest the day when they got children...his eyes widened in horror at the idea of the Weasley twins having children on their own. Oh No. Better not...

When they had finished breakfast, they went out of the castle, realising that it had started to snow during the night. The twins immediately started a snow fight with everybody who walked through the garden, using magic so that the snow balls always hit their target. After a while, the trio eagerly joined and soon all the five of them were soaked through and through. All in all, it was a pretty normal Christmas, and while enjoying and celebrating, nobody thought of what would come...

Because the Week of the Fuming Neptune had the bad habit of starting when nobody expected it to start...and so it began.

**To be continued...**  


  


* * *

**kris10michelle** - *lol* Your prediction seems halfway right...we planned t do it like that, but actually it's Latrisha's turn to write the next chapter, so we have to see what she will invent. It's all up to her!  


**Allison M Potter** - The same happened to you? Funny...uhm, wel, right now we're not really getting anywhere because we both haven't the slightest clue how to continue, but well....we try!l  


**Caylen Ryder **- Uhm..yeah...guess the reviewing losers are sad by now, cause this took so long...Your magical psychich powers failed you this time, because they encountered a phenomen called 'Karisha', also used as a synonym for incredible lazyness! Sorry for the long wait, really sorry!!  


**Araanaz** - Well, there's Mione now, hope you're satisfied!  
  
**Katie Bell** - Well, we're not sure yet if Nat will be romantically involved with Harry. Maybe she has some other purpose....*wicked grin* Thanks for pointing out the skater thing - are there ever mentioned years in the books? I can't remember. *shrugs* And well, I red the first Harry Potter in '99, a time when there were a lot of skaters....anyway, thanks for telling...Gherkin :P  
  
**Angie D** - It's so sweet to read your German! Mach weiter so, freut uns sehr! Hope you liked this!  



	14. The First Day

**Kaeera:** *crawls out under a rock* "Hello? Is anybody here?" *silence*  
**Latrisha:** *follows her and brushes dirt of her tunic* "It has no use - they probably all thought that this story has died!"   
**Kaeera:** *lips quivering* But...but...we never abandonded it! Our life was just too busy to write...and we don't see each other anymore!" (That's right; we used to drive on the same bus every morning and afternoon, but then Kaeera moved and uses a different bus, so we hardly see each other)  
**Latrisha:** *dryly* "Well, tell that to the people..." *points at empty space around them*  
**Kaeera:**...."Which people?"

...........  
Well, we are really sorry for the lack of updates. For endless times, we had absolutely NO idea how to continue. originally, this story was intended to very short, about the time span when they visited the Granger, but it made so much fun to write that we couldn't stop - and now we have the misery. Writer's Block with no end in sight...well, at least we have a plan now for the next few chapters, so please don't kill us.  
If there's anybody who still reads this.

* * *

**

****Confusing Experiences and Hidden Feelings**

_By: Kaeera & Latrisha_

  
**Chapter 14: The first Day**

A thick white blanket of sticky snow covered the lands of Hogwarts, and the students who stayed over Christmas threw hexed snowballs at each other while the younger ones tried to form snowmen. (Colin's, with its big scar that looked like a lightening bolt on its forehead, was obviously supposed to be Harry.) 

Soon big snowflakes fell down from the sky again. Most of the Gryffindors got tired of jumping around in the snow and freezing after a while. When the last rays of sunlight lightened up the grounds of Hogwarts and made them shine almost orange, glittering in the last rays of the evening sun, even the last students went inside. 

But not all of them, no, one boy stayed outside, sitting alone in the snow. He didn't even feel the coldness which climbed up his feet and sneaked under his clothes. And the reason why he did not feel it was that he was virtually glowing inwardly. 

His pulse was fast and his chest felt so warm inside that he thought he might soon explode. And all because he always had to think of Hermione, that very special girl, the girl he loved so much that he had difficulty in understanding the strength of his own feelings. 

And there he was, sitting in the icy cold snow, opening his jacket and looking down at himself. He only wore and orange t-shirt underneath, and he swore himself never to put it off anymore. 

He was already shaking when he watched the sun go down completely, but his brain didn't notice it. This was a special moment, and he wanted to enjoy it as long as he could…. 

* * * * * * * *

  


Harry was the first to notice that Ron was gone. It was okay that he had been missing for one or two hours, but it definitely was not okay that he missed dinner. 

"Where the hell is Ron?" he asked at the table, hoping that Hermione had a simple explanation for him. But she only shook her head. "I thought you know it." 

Fred raised his head and spied along the huge Gryffindor table, on which only seventeen people were sitting at the moment. 

"Hey, Ronnie isn't there!" he said and cuffed his brother with his elbow. "Since we are responsible for him, we should perhaps search for Ronnie." he added with a serious expression on his face, but soon broke out into laughter. 

Hermione did not even take notice of this glorious joke, but stood up and said: "Harry, I'm gonna search for him. Would you help me?" 

They left the Great Hall and separated, Harry ran upstairs to the Gryffindor Tower and Hermione walked out. Perhaps he had decided to go on a little walk… 

It was already dark now, but moon gave enough light for her to see where she was going. She walked along the sea and back, spied through Hagrid's window and made her way back to the castle. He was not out there, so she thought, and sighed. 

"Hermione?" someone asked weakly from behind her. She turned around and noticed to her surprise that it was Ron who had spoken. "Ron!" she yelled, "What are you doing out here?!"   
  
And he was shivering. His lips had the colour of light blue and his nose had the look of Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer. "Oh my God, come in now!" 

Without thinking, she pulled him near to her and put her arm around him. What the hell was he thinking, staying outside for hours?! 

She was terribly worried about him, and immediately took him to the Hospital Wing, without even telling Harry. 

* * * * * * * *

Madam Pomfrey widened her eyes in shock when she saw Ronald Weasley, virtually being carried through the door by Mrs. Granger. She advised her to lay him down on one of the beds and quickly examined him. "I do not know what has happened, Mrs. Granger, but I do know that if you had come any later this evening, he certainly would not have been able to move anymore. I really have to thank you, and also Mr. Weasley has to."   


Hermione blushed at the thought that she had eventually rescued Ron's life, but an inner voice told her not to exaggerate. Madam Pomfrey would make him healthy again with one simple swish of her wand, and tomorrow Ron could return to Harry and her. 

Madam Pomfrey asked Hermione to stay a little and pay attention, while she was going to fetch some potion for Ron. 

Finally alone in the room with Ron, she sat down on his bed and watched him. He had immediately fallen asleep, without even saying a single word. Slightly disappointed she pulled the blanket completely over him, and to her own surprise, gave him a little kiss on his cheek. 

Whatever he had done out there, when he was well again, she would verbally kill him for it. How could he dare scaring her so much? 

It was only then when she noticed the orange t-shirt he was wearing. Wasn't that…? Yes it definitely was the Chudley Cannons tee shirt she gave him this morning. A dark suspect knocked on the door to her mind. Was it possible? No, Ronald Weasley did not sped half of the day sitting out in the snow because of her. Be honest, Hermione, that was certainly not the reason. 

Madam Pomfrey returned with a small, silver bottle in her hand. "Mrs. Weasley, um, sorry, Miss Granger, someone will have to put on his pyjamas, and I know that it is not me. He cannot sleep in these clothes." 

"But…-but I can't!" Hermione shouted. It was one of the rare times she did not do what an authorized person told her to do. "I will not undress him, he would kill me if he knew!" 

"I'm surprised, I thought you'd be rather… um, well, used to see him…undressed?" 

Hermione's jaw dropped. "What?" 

"But never-the-less, he will need pyjamas, and you do not have to fully undress him. I am not asking you to make him naked. He will leave on his underwear of course. Afterwards," she added, "give him two drops of this simple potion, and he will sleep like a stone and be alright tomorrow. Good night. And thank you." 

Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but the words wouldn't come out. Instead she only said "You're welcome." and was alone with Ron again.   


* * * * * * * * 

Meanwhile Harry had had some other problems to be worked out. After not having found Ron, he suspected that Hermione had, and now they were happily hugging each other in the romantic evening outside, finally confessing their love for each other… 

They simply had no idea how lucky they were to have each other. Harry did not exactly know what it was like to be in love. He really did not. Okay, there was this thing with Cho, he liked her and he had to confess that she had awoken some feelings inside him he never had felt before, but that was all. It was not love. 

He walked, however, back to Gryffindor Tower, because Neville had asked him to help him with his exercises and Harry did not know what else he could do. Actually it was pretty boring without his best friends. Most of the time he had one of them around, and so he was not used that they suddenly left him, more or less, alone to do something together. 

Standing in front of the Fat Lady's picture, he murmured the password and prepared to climb through the hole. But the Fat Lady did not pay attention to him. In fact she did not even move. 

"Hey, Grandma, what's the matter? Don't stare at me like that!" Harry shouted impolitely as he was unnerved enough now. "I'm not gonna stand outside here the whole night!" 

It was just in that instant that he realized that the Fat Lady didn't only not move, but even had completely stopped breathing. It was only a normal picture. Not-moving. Not magical. No magic. 

"Oh damn!" Harry let out a sharp breath and knocked against the oil colours of the picture. He could here voices inside. "Hello?" 

The portrait was pulled aside and Harry looked into Ginny's white, beautiful face. "Harry,"she started, but he interrupted her. 

"Yes. Folks, I think it has begun." 

* * * * * * * *

  


"Oh wait!!! I'm gonna get you these damned pyjamas, if you want to or not!" 

Hermione looked down at the half naked Ron, who was lying under her and seemed as if he did not notice anything. She had pulled the pullover over his head, but now had the difficulty of putting his arms through the right holes. It was a battle. And she was not going to lose it. But that was nothing compared to the following task: taking off his trousers. 

"Please Ron, please, please, please, please, please, wake up and do that yourself." she said, but knew that he wouldn't. There he lied, sleeping like a little child, cuter than ever. "Oh come on, Hermione," she told herself and raised his left arm to put it through the hole. 

But before she was able to do that, his arm pulled her close to Ron and wouldn't let go off her. His arm developed a force she had not expected Ron to have. She had to lie down on his body, her face buried in his soft chest. She was so shocked that she just did not move because she did not want to wake him up, and let her fingers run up and down his stomach. 

Lying there, she noticed that he was shivering more than before, shivering like he was taking a bath in a barrel of ice water. Yes, he was extremely ill, and she needed to give him his potion.   


So she managed to free herself out of his hug and finally finished dressing him. It was already ten past nine, when she opened his mouth slightly and let some of the potion drop into it. Ron gulped and stretched his arms, and then he turned over, let out a soft grunt, and continued sleeping. 

* * * * * * * *

"Professor Dumbledore. We need to talk." 

"What's the matter, Severus?" 

Professor Snape walked towards Dumbledore and sat down next to him. It was already late but Dumbledore was still sitting in the Great Hall. He looked at his watch and nodded. 

"I bought this muggle watch because I hate it not to knowing what time it is," he explained, and Snape nodded. 

"So you know that it has begun?" 

"Of course I know. And I'm sure that right in this moment there are already a few problems to be solved. So why do you need to talk?" 

"It is about Professor McGonagall. She… well, she cannot transform back. She's a cat." 

Dumbledore leaned back into his chair, his old face showing dismay and pity, his eyes looking tired, but at the same time they seemed to glow. The old wizard had power that no one else in the wizard world was able to reach. But even Dumbledore, who was supposed to manage everything and always knew an answer, sometimes needed help in certain situations. 

That was one of those situations, and his best help now was a cat. 

"And there's still something I should tell you. Some of my students are locked magically into their room. I have no idea why they locked it, but it won't be opened again until this week is over." 

Snape was a little ashamed that students from his house out of all had to do such a stupid thing, and he hoped some of the Gryffindors would also be in trouble. 

But unfortunately neither of the two teachers, nor anyone else (like Madam Pomfrey), had only the slightest idea, that one boy was lying up in the hospital wing and got his medicine exactly ten minutes too late. 

* * * * * * * *

In this night, the whole castle did not close an eye, except of aforementioned boy, who was shivering so hard that it was a wonder he did not wake up because of it. 

All students had to come down to the Great Hall, although there weren't much left, because the parents knew about this week and wanted their children to be at home. 

At about eleven o'clock, thirty-six of the forty-two remaining students were standing around in the Great Hall, chatting and waiting for Dumbledore to give them advice. 

"Where's Ron?" Harry asked both excited and worried, when Hermione appeared next to him. 

"Don't worry about him. He's sleeping in the hospital wing. Was a bit too long out in the cold." She grinned and tried not to look worried, but the thought of his shivering body made her feel worse. She hoped it was not her fault that he sat out there for so long. But luckily he had got his potion… 

"Hey guys!" Fred appeared behind them. "Bet you dunno the latest news!" he said, elbowing George who immediately started laughing. 

"You won't believe it!" 

Harry stared at the two of them, wondering instantly how it was possible to be in such a good mood all the time. "Then tell us." Hermione said disinterested, spying over to Dumbledore. She noticed his extremely stressed facial expression and got even more worried. 

"McGonagall is a cat!" 

"No?!" 

"What?" 

"That's terrible!" 

"Yes!" 

"You are kidding!" 

"Cool!" 

Some of the students standing around overheard the news. 

"Come on, Fred, don't make fun of us!" Hermione said dryly. "If that was true, she wouldn't be able to transform back. And I think she knew that exactly well, so that can't be." 

"Ok, don't trust me. That's OK." Fred said and played the insulted little baby, but grinned from one ear too the other. "You'll see." Then he added somewhat louder: "Who wants to bet?" 

But in this moment, finally, Dumbledore spoke to them. He left out the story about Professor McGonagall being a cat, but told them everything important. 

They had to sleep down in the Great Hall, they had to cook for themselves, and the ghosts had disappeared. The locked Slytherins had to be helped, and all while Hogwarts could be seen by every muggle walking around outside. It was the total chaos when Snape handed out the muggle things they would need to cook. 

Even the magical ceiling had disappeared and only an old, shabby stone ceiling was left, hanging so unusually low above their heads that some of them had to look up all the time to keep sure that it wouldn't come down on them. 

So the first hours of the week of fuming Neptune went by, and already thousands of problems had appeared in the whole wizarding world. The Ministry had all hands full of work to hide a whole world, since charms couldn't be spoken to make muggles forget, and it was nearly impossible to manage everything. 

So, for example, nobody able to prevent a young skater girl going for a little walk through the forest the next morning…   


**To be continued....**

Yay! It has finally started! The week of the fuming Neptune...*smirk* Well, we'll see what happens...Thanks for the reviews, people, unfortunately there won't be answers today, because we wanted to get this chapter up as fast as possible!


	15. Week of the Fuming Neptune

Wow, we already have fifteen chapters! We actually never thought that the story would make it so far! That's quite cool^^ Although it is getting weirder and weirder with every chapter...

And this chapter was up relatively fast, but don't expect that to be normal. We are still quite busy...

**Latrisha:** "Kaeera...will we ever finish this story?

**Kaeera**: "Hopefully....maybe in two or three years."

**Latrisha**: "We have been writing this for nearly a year now....that's kinda scary."

**Kaeera**: "I know....and we still have no idea how to end it. Well, probably with Ron and Hermione getting together. But I can't write romance."

**Latrisha**: "Me neither."

*both share a sigh*

**Kaeera**: "Remind me once again why we are standing here and talk about this."

**Latrisha**: *shrugs* "Dunno." *starts eating an apple*

**Kaeera**: "Oookay..."

* * *

****

Confusing Experiences and Hidden Feelings

_by Kaeera & Latrisha_

**Chapter 15: The Week of the Fuming Neptune**

"I don't like this." Hermione stared miserably at the stove and the small pan she held over the fire. Three eggs were frying in the pan, and it reminded her of the time when she had went camping with her parents when she had been younger. It wasn't a pleasant memory; her father had managed to burn the food, the tent had collapsed and it had started raining. The girl sighed defeatedly.

They had been told to divide in groups of three or four and had been handed a stove each. Now they were sitting in the Great Hall and tried to cook their breakfast, which of course proved to be quite a problem.

The Great Hall resembled a huge camping place. Everywhere students were sitting, walking around or trying to figure out how the stoves and the other muggle items worked. Since most students were pure-bloods, they had no idea of real muggle camping and therefore kept staring at the stoves, prodding them with their (now) useless wands and saying things like: "Come on! Burn! I'm hungry…please? Just for five minutes?"

Hermione just rolled with her eyes. She had tried to explain how this worked, but had given up after the fifth try, returning to cooking her own breakfast with Harry and Neville. Since Ron was still in the Hospital Wing, Neville had joined their little group. Unfortunately neither he nor Harry was of a big help, for both had no idea of how to use camping tools.

Hogwarts was in Chaos, to be quite frank. Professor McGonagall, unable to transform back to her human self, strolled through the students as a cat. Somehow, she still managed to glare at them so that they stopped doing nonsense – quite strange, if one considered that she had only the height of an average cat. It was embarrassing to be frightened by a thing which is only half a meter big, but this eyes…

There were different opinions among the students – some found it great that they didn't have to attend their usual classes; some found the lack of comfort deeply disturbing (Of course, Malfoy belonged to them and was complaining the loudest).

"I don't *like* this!" Hermione repeated and poked the eggs rather angrily.

"We know, Hermione," Harry sighed, "But killing our breakfast won't change anything, ya know."

The girl looked down on the eggs which she had managed successfully to cut into little pieces with her fork. "Oh," she said and blushed slightly. "I mean, it's just….everybody seems so confused, even the teachers, and McGonagall is a cat and Ron is in the hospital wing and we don't have lessons and everything is totally crazy…"

Neville sent her a pitiful look. "I totally understand you, but I must admit that I am quite glad about a week without Potions." He shuddered slightly as Snape rushed past and sent them an evil sneer.

"It's just a week, Hermione. You'll see it'll be over faster than expected!"

"But the lessons were supposed to start in three days…"

"Come on, we can afford to lose three days of teaching, can't we? It's not the world, really!"

She muttered something inaudible under her breath and Harry chose to ignore it. When she was in one of her moods, nobody could deal with her. Instead he watched the other people in the hall, curious about what they would do. 

Most of them were eating and talking quietly. The Weasley twins were nowhere to be seen, but they were probably preparing their latest prank. Harry didn't know what they had in store, but after the grins they had been wearing when Dumbledore had announced that the Week of the Fuming Neptune had started, he suspected that it was nothing good.

The boy-who-lived realised that Hogwarts was quite a strange place when there was no magic. The pictures on the wall were silent and resembled those old pictures one saw in muggle castles. The magic doors and walls had simply disappeared, and it was quite boring to walk through the corridors – not even a simple step changed under one's feet! It really was like in a muggle castle. 

"Harry, what do you think they will make us do during this week?" Neville asked, while Hermione handed out the eggs. 

The girl hadn't been very pleased with the idea of cooking, but since she had been the only one to know how to use a camping stove, there hadn't been another possibility. Unfortunately, she wasn't a good cook, although that was an understatement. As good as Hermione was in school, as bad tasted everything she made with her own hands. The eggs were no exception.

Usually it wasn't that hard to fry eggs, was it? One just broke them into the pan, waited a few seconds, moved them around so that they wouldn't burn – and finito! With bread and a tad salt you have a delicious meal. Of course you shouldn't forget the oil, or you will have quite a difficult task of cleaning the pan.

Hermione's eggs, however, were of a sickly grey colour and were burnt in some places while still feeling glibbery in others. 

Harry and Neville just stared at them and shared a look of doom, then decided to switch off their taste and eat the eggs without complaining.

"I have no idea," he tried to answer Neville's question between to bites and quickly gulped it down as he received one of Hermione's _looks_. "They can't let us run around all the time, can they?"

"Maybe they'll teach us about muggle things?" Hermione suggested, slowly returning to her old self. "Ya know, it would be interesting for the whole castle to learn how a telephone works, or a television."

"I doubt they will do that. Most of the teachers have no idea how the muggle manage to survive without magic – they are as clueless as Ron when it comes to that!"

Hermione frowned. "Oh yes, Ron – we should go visit him. Madame Pomfrey said that he would be alright in the morning. He certainly doesn't want to miss the Week of the Fuming Neptune. Although I can't understand why."

"MORNING HARRY!" boomed a new voice, as Hagrid entered the Great Hall, holding a huge sack in his hands. He strolled over to the three and Harry could feel how Neville tensed beside him. The clumsy boy had quite a respect of Hagrid.

"An' 'morning, 'Mione!" he greeted the brown-haired girl as well. "Quiet a chaos out there, don' cha think? Everybody seems crazy since the magic has disappeared…" The giant man shook his head and let his eyes travel around the room. Most of the students had finished their breakfast by now and were leaving the Hall. They were allowed to walk freely through Hogwarts as long as they stayed in groups, but it wasn't permitted to leave the grounds or to venture more than a few hundred meters away from the castle.

"It's strange," Harry set his plate down and stood up. Even when he was standing, Hagrid still towered over him. "Even the Ghosts have disappeared, and everything is so…silent. And McGonagall is a cat."

"I know," Hagrid chuckled, "Poor Minerva – I know that it's not funny, but the idea of her walking around as a cat all the week is somewhat amusing." A thoughtful look crossed his face. "Hmm, I wonder if she can still take points from the students," then he slapped himself. "Duh, stupid me, nobody can, not with the magic disappeared an' all that…" He rambled a bit more and then finally walked away, saying something about being busy and having important things to do.

Neville stared open-mouthed after him. "He's…weird." He finally said with a hint of awe in his voice. Harry and Hermione had to suppress a snicker and shared a knowing look. 

"Oh yes, indeed, he is."

Then they were interrupted by a huge flame which came out of a stove not far away from them. A student had managed to use too much gas and the stove had nearly exploded. Hermione sighed and then scurried over, teaching yet another lesson in 'how-to-use-a-muggle-divice-without-getting-burned'.

"Let's just hope that she doesn't teach them how to cook." Harry mumbled and shook his head, waiting for her to finish. He was eager to visit his friend. Ron certainly would be angry that he had missed the beginning of the Week, and was probably waiting impatiently for them to arrive. 

**********

The forest was beautiful; snow covered every tree and glittered in the morning sun. It was silent, because every animal had decided to hide somewhere. It seemed like a place out of a wonderland, charmed and beautiful, in ever-lasting peace….until a cursing voice disturbed this feeling.

"Stupid Christmas! I wanted to spend it with my friends, but no, they sent me here, in the middle of NOWHERE! Gosh, they don't even have a proper skate rink. Where am I? On mars???" The girl threw her hands in the air and then put them back in her pockets – the air was damn cold.

She had decided to do some cross-country skiing this morning – it wasn't as if there was anything better to do, and it was better than hanging around in the house. She had been quite fond of this sport when she had been little, but had soon abandoned it after she had discovered the positive points of a skateboard.

Her breath crystallized in front of her, so cold was the air. Glaring at every tree in her reach, Nat continued her way through the forest. She wasn't afraid of wild animals – every bear, wolf or whatever would have probably run away if it saw her face. 

"Who cares if I am bad in school? I don't *mind*! And I certainly WON'T study, no, not after they have done this to me. They are destroying my wonderful, PRECIOUS holidays and I….ARGH!"

She cursed as her left foot with the ski sank into an invisible hole on the ground she hadn't noticed before. Cold, frozen snow entered her shoes and immediately melted to icy water, soaking her socks. Nat just glared at her shoes, maybe hoping that the snow would get afraid and disappear, but it had no use. 

"I hate my life." She told the forest gloomily. 

The trees seemed to glare back at her and she suddenly felt uncomfortable. She hadn't looked where she was going, and hadn't paid attention to the time. Angrily she realised that she had no idea where she was, nor how long it had taken her. Nat had been too absorbed in her brooding to notice anything. 

Nothing moved around her; the trees were silent. Somehow, she found this disturbing and quickly continued her way. Aunt Kate had said that this forest was very small and it took only one hour to walk through it and return to the way which drew a circle around the forest, but Nat was pretty sure that she had been skiing for more than an hour, and she was *still* in the forest.

"This is why I live in a big city!" 

Nat realised that talking to trees wasn't a very good sign, but she was still angry. Rather forcefully, she continued her way through the trees and the snow, which reached up to her knees.

Her socks were still soaked and made squatting noises with every step.

**********

The first thing he noticed was that his head was pounding. I hurt. Immensely. He wanted to touch his forehead, but realised awkwardly that lifting his hand had become an unsolvable task. Groaning slightly, he blinked a few times and turned his head until he could recognise his surroundings.

Ron wrinkled his brows in confusion as he realised that he was in the Hospital Wing. What was he doing here? Was he ill? He couldn't remember falling ill…and neither had he and Harry pulled some dangerous stunts. They hadn't visited Hagrid either, so he hadn't been bitten by a dragon…so what had happened?

He dimly remembered that it was winter, and Christmas, and that he had been incredibly happy yesterday. Oh yes, exactly, he had received a wonderful present from Hermione…

And why was he ill? His nose was running! His head hurt! And he felt dizzy as if he had a fever. Oh well, he probably _had_.

The redhead sat up and leant on his elbows, groaning again. It remembered him of the time when he had been little – he had caught a really bad cold back then, but his mum had managed to make him feel better with a wave of her wand. Confused, Ron asked himself why Madame Pomfrey hadn't done that.

He blinked and looked out of the window, surprised to see that it was already morning – he had slept through the night? Coughing slightly, he fell back on the bed, waiting for someone to appear. 

It didn't take long and he heard footsteps approaching. Two persons entered the hospital wing and were obviously surprised to find him lying on the bed instead of walking around and waiting to be declared healthy enough to leave.

"Morning Ron," Harry greeted with a slightly worried expression. Ron's face was flushed and sweat glittered on his forehead, indeed not a sign that he was well again, as Hermione had said.

"Morning," croaked the redhead and coughed once more. "Care to tell me why I am here? I can't seem to remember…"

"Well, you stayed outside too long and fell sick, so Hermione brought you here…but Pomfrey made you drink a potion and you should be okay now…" Harry stopped as Hermione slapped her hands over her mouth.

"Oh my…" the girl's eyes widened in terror. "The potion! It must have been too late! And so it lost its effect, that's why Ron is still sick!"

"Huh?" Ron, still somewhat dazed, didn't understand any of this.

Harry slapped a hand on his face and sighed. "You're right….usually her potions take immediate effect!" 

Then he turned to Ron, deciding to help the boy out of his confusion. "Well, to be quite frank, the Week of the Fuming Neptune started yesterday and therefore all magic has disappeared. Apparently it has begun just a few minutes before you got your potion, thus cancelling every positive effect of the medicine. That's why you are still ill…..how do you feel, by the way?"

"Sick."

"Thought so."

Ron pulled a face. "That's so typical – the Week starts, an event which occurs every five hundreds years or so, and I am in the hospital wing, feeling to sick to get up. ARGH! I hate my luck!"

Harry and Hermione just shared an exaggerated sigh.

Ron sneezed.

**********

"Fred?"

"Yes?"

"Why are most of the teachers still here although we are supposed to have holidays?"

"Probably because of the Fuming Neptune – they need to take care of Hogwarts. Why are you asking? It just serves our purpose!"

"You're right, I was just curious." They both laughed and rummaged through the bag they had brought with them.

"Those muggle things are quite nice, although not as interesting as our own inventions. But it should be enough."

"Have you remembered everything?"

"Yes, of course – you're insulting me, my dear brother."

"I would never do that, my fellow twin." 

Once again quiet laughter filled the air as the twins glanced around the corner to the staff's room. The professors were holding a meeting and the twin's had chosen this particular moment to start the series of pranks they had planned. It was early afternoon and the castle was silent.

"We have to be extra-careful, McGonagall is probably near the door, and you know how good cats can hear!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

The duo sneaked closer to the door, Fred holding some metallic instruments in his hand. 

"Like I said before," he whispered and grinned, "It's always good to learn muggle techniques." And he put the tools into the lock of the door, working silently until a soft click told them that the first step had been accomplished – they had locked the teachers into the staff room.

"Without magic they won't be able to escape." George smirked. 

"Gives us enough time to finish this!" Fred agreed and they started to work on the corridor. 

In truth, the teachers wouldn't even notice for the next thirty minutes that the door was locked, and then the twins would have everything finished and opened the lock again, but they went for the words 'Better Safe than Sorry'. If one of the teachers went out earlier, he would see what they were doing…and well, that wouldn't be funny anymore!

Carefully, they took some strange coloured powder in a box out of their bag and a bottle with water. They filled the powder into the liquid and shook it until it was clear again. Then they took some brushes and started to paint every door handle in the reach with the liquid. Soon their task was finished and they unlocked the door to the staff room, disappearing quickly to continue their work in other parts of the castle.

"You know what? Everybody will *know* that it has been us!"

"Yeah, but nobody can actually _prove_ it!"

"And the teachers can't take points of our house!"

"…..I _like_ this week!"

**********

HARRY'S POV

After visiting Ron in the hospital wing, we decided to return back to the Great Hall. Nobody really knew what to do – I mean we couldn't play most of the games, because they involved magic; we weren't allowed to go outside, and the teachers…

Yes, the teachers. The thought suddenly popped into my head, and I looked around, realising that I hadn't seen one of them for the last hour. I had quite a few questions – if we had to stay in the Great Hall for the whole week, for example, or how we would cook lunch (I was firmly convinced that I wouldn't survive this week if I had to live from the…_food_ Hermione cooked.)

"I wonder where the teachers are." Hermione voiced the same thing I was thinking. 

I shrugged. "Well, they are probably discussing how to make this week the best for us, inventing rules and stuff." I felt somewhat grumpy. I had expected to be able to enjoy this week with Ron, but now that he was in the hospital, it was somewhat boring.

Don't understand me wrong; Hermione was great and I liked being her friend, but when it came to having fun, we shared different opinions. Oh well, at least it was not as extreme as Ron and Hermione, who seemed to have different opinions about every topic. I really wondered when the two would officially come together…and who would win this famous bet. 

Probably Dumbledore…

I opened another door and was surprised to walk directly into Ginny, who had been opening the door from the other side. "Oh, Harry!" she said and blushed a bit.

I smiled at her. "Hey Gin, are you on your way to Ron?"

She nodded and looked a bit uncomfortable. "Is he alright again? Why didn't he return with you?"

Hermione sighed and started to explain. "Because he is still ill; it was too late yesterday and the magic of the potion lost its effect. He's up in the hospital wing with a really bad cold, and it hasn't much use to speak with him, because he's too tired and cranky to hold a decent conversation."

I didn't miss the guilty look on her face; there was something she didn't tell, and I had the suspicion that it involved Ron. Ah well, they probably did something….argh, what was I thinking? I had the decency to blush and quickly directed my thoughts into another direction.

"Oh, and by the way, I wouldn't do that." Ginny interrupted my thoughts and pointed to the door handle on which my hand was still lying.

"What?" I didn't understand.

"Touching things without looking at them first. Fred and George have started their…ehm, little jokes, and you will find them everywhere in the castle." A somewhat pained expression crossed her face which was framed by her beautiful, red curls.

Hermione beside me groaned and I quickly pulled my hand away, staring at the palm intently. Nope, I couldn't discover anything. "What have they done?"

Ginny shrugged. "Don't ask me…you will see it when you cross the way of some teachers. Ehm, and take my advice – better go *not* and see Snape right now….he's…very furious."

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Snape is always angry – but Gin, what have they done with the door handles?"

Ginny blushed and held up her hands, looking on the ground. My jaw fell open as I saw the palms of her hands which were coloured in a bright, shining green colour. It was glowing slightly in the dim interior of the corridors, letting Ginny's face appear pale against the soft light.

"Oh. That."

She just nodded. "I just wanted to push the door open – I didn't see anything at first, but after a few minutes, my hands started glowing. I hope it will go away soon…"

In horror I stared at my own hands and was relieved that nothing was there – yet. Hermione rolled her eyes and brushed past me. "Honestly, those two….," she mumbled aggravated, carefully avoiding to touch anything. 

Ginny stared after her and frowned. "Is something wrong with her?" She asked and fell in step with me as I followed Hermione at a slightly slower pace.

I shrugged again. "I think she's worried about Ron, and she's hiding something, but I don't know what." I scratched my head, feeling overwhelmed by the whole situation. Ron was ill, Hermione was in a weird mood, the teachers had suddenly disappeared and adding to that came the fact that the magic had gone and that the whole wizarding world would be seen by muggles.

"They'll need a LOT of memory charms to make this undone."

"Dad already told us that they will have to work overtime." Ginny said sadly. "The outside world must be a chaos."

"I guess we can be glad that we are in Hogwarts. It's safe here."

Ginny smiled. "Well, relatively…it can never be safe when Fred and George are around."

I was on the verge of agreeing when suddenly Professor Flitwick rounded around a corner. He walked past us without sending us another glance and my jaw fell open as I looked at his head.

His hair was shining in the most brilliant purple I had ever seen.

His steps echoed through the hallway and Ginny and I stood like frozen, mouths wide open. After a few minutes of awkward silence, the redhead beside me finally regained her composure and coughed. "They are really enjoying this, aren't they?"

I nodded mutely, stilled shocked by the sight, and wondered what else they had in store. The twins were probably working overtime right now, so that really everybody in Hogwarts got his fair share of their pranks. 

"I just hope that they don't do anything too extreme – it might be dangerous!" I said and brushed through my hair.

Ginny looked at me and started giggling. "Harry….your hands!"

"What?" I replied irritated and turned my head to look down on my hands.

My palms and fingers were glowing in the brightest and ugliest baby pink I had ever seen. 

"Oh no…"

***********

NORMAL POV

The snow had started to fall again as Nat struggled through the trees of the forest. She was pretty sure that something was very wrong by now, for she still hadn't reached the path and was skiing deeper and deeper into the forest.

"I bet ol'aunt Katie has lied to me about this forest. Making fun about the city girl, huh?" She hmph-ed annoyed and ruffled through her black hair, trying to get the snow out of it. It wasn't really much of a use, really, since her hair, as well as her clothes, was already soaked. 

It never snowed that much in the city.

"Great. Great. Great. Great…." She had been cursing for the last hour and had no intention to stop her rambling about the injustice of the world and her parents in particular.

However, she stopped to mutter words in her not-existent beard as she realised that the trees were standing wider apart a few hundred meters away. 

"Finally!" she exclaimed and increased her pace, eager to leave this gloomy forest. She was getting hungry and tired from all the cross-country skiing - after all she hadn't done it in a very long time.

However, her relief was short lived as she didn't see a path as soon as she left the forest – instead a huge castle stretched in front of her, bigger than anything Nat had ever seen in her life.

Her jaw hung open. "Wow," she managed to say after a few minutes of stunned silence and observed the towers, the huge, now frozen lake, the gate, the windows…

Why had nobody told her about this? Surely one would know if there was such a big castle in the near…tourists had to love this place! And it wasn't as damaged as many other old buildings Nat had seen in her life.

She scrambled forward on her ski, deciding to take a closer look. 

**********

"Have you seen Flitwick?"

"Of course! Hah, that colour really fits him, he looks excellent!"

"Yay, and all the students with their glowing hands…we really can congratulate ourselves, not George!"

"Sure thing, Fred!" The twins eagerly shook their hands and returned to the list which was lying in the corner. The two redheads were crouched down on the floor and planned their next prank.

"Okay, first day: Success!"

"And six more days to go! Yeah!"

They exchanged a high five and grinned at each other. They were pretty sure that half the school would be ready to kill them as soon as the week was over, but hey….it was worth it! The look on Flitwicks face had been priceless, and Snape…

"What a pity that I didn't take a picture of Snape – I could have framed it and hung it in my room, that way I would always have something to laugh!"

"It will be imprinted in our minds, my dear brother…and we will never forget. Even in the hour of my death I shall recall this particular expression!"

To be continued....

* * *

Some people complained because we didn't write an answer session in the last chapter...BUT WE WILL DO IT NOW! So beware of the madness...and please review!!!

**Araanaz** - We're glad that you are still with us! Oh well, tons of chapters? We fear that will be a problem...take a look at our current lives and you will realise how busy we are...

**Latrisha**: "Yeah, with Kaeera having orchestra practise five times a week...."

**Kaeera**: "...and Latrisha writing her ZK's soon, we are overloaded with work."

But be assured that we always try our best!

**MUH** - Of course we remember! Dinge in Deutsch zu schreiben ist einfach lustig! Glad that you liked the chapter, we hope that you like this one as well. Say hello to your grandma!

**meskup** - Yes, Nat is coming nearer...she has reached Hogwarts by now! Wow...

**Latrisha**: "Actually we have no idea what to do with her."

**Kaeera**: "Yeah, we just invented her because....uhm....because..."

**Latrisha**: *sighs*

**live the rainbow** - Here you have your answering session! Sorry, but we just wanted to get the last chapter up as fast as possible, and therefore didn't have the time to write those. You are seeing a central plot in this story? Cool...ya know, actually we never discussed about a real plot, we just said we want to reach this and that and then started writing...The invention of the 'Week of the Flaming Neptune' was never planned, until someday we started talking like: "Hey, it would be cool to see Hogwarts without magic..." And bang, a new plot idea was born. *lol* It's great that there are people who like the idea!

**Caylen Rider** - Seems as if somebody is a LotR fan as well! As for the short Ginny and Harry scene...if you liked that one, you will probably like the scene in this chapter even more. We are not sure how this might develop and which role Nat will play in all this...so everything can still happen.

**Kaeera**: "Well, actually we _had_ a plan about the pairings."

**Latrisha**: "Yeah, but since we are known for changing everything, you can forget about them."

**Kaeera**: *sighs* "True, True. The only SURE thing is that this will always be Ron/Hermione. And the rest...Everything is possible!" *cackles*

**Latrisha**: *looks at Kaeera* "Which is quite bad, when I hear this evil laugter."

**Kaeera**: "Spoilsport!"

**Katie Bell** - A plot! Yes, a plot!

**Kaeera**: "Where?"

**Latrisha**: "Uhm...in our minds?"

**Kaeera**: "Really?"

**Latrisha**: *sweatdrops*


End file.
